Induratize Thyself Logan Echolls
by Kerstae
Summary: AU, set in Season 2 just after the bus crash and Logan's fight with Duncan Kane... its a bit of an alternate timeline and a few of my own non-canon plot twists. (no copyright infringements intended.. but if you are from Rob Thomas et al and get worried about my stories, then just hire me instead yeah? ;) ) PLEASE NOTE THE RATING FOR THIS STORY IS NOW RATED M!
1. Chapter 1

Logan sat in the Nurses Office of Neptune High School staring at his busted knuckles, he felt kind of satisfied that had landed a few good punches in Duncan's face. That should ruin Veronica's view for a while, and the busted lip and the tenderness when those bruises really came up would certainly slow down their make-out time for a few days he mused to himself, taking cold comfort in the fact, even if his own injuries, the soreness to his ribs meant he would be limping around for a few days himself.

Mr Clements had told him he was going to have refer the matter to the Sheriff's office if anything like that happened again. The school had been watching the two former friends closely since the beginning of the term, apparently worried the boys might be holding a grudge against each other considering Logan's father had just been sensationally arrested for the murder of Lilly Kane, Duncan's sister, and Logan's girlfriend.

"Duncan attacked me first" Logan complained, rubbing the bruising on his wrist.

"Yes, but it has been reported by several witnesses that you provoked him. You would think given your situation over the last few months Mr Echolls, that you would be trying to remain more under the radar" Clements said, his tone implying exactly what Logan knew he was thinking. For someone who had recently just been acquitted and was under suspicion of the Murder of one of his other classmates, incidents like this wouldn't look very good if more evidence came forward and he had to go to Trial.

"Consider me stealthy and informed from here on out" Logan replied sardonically, giving his best mock salute, trying not to give into the ball of rage threatening to erupt from his chest.

"I know things have not been great for you" Clements said sympathetically, a softness creeping into the old educator's voice. Logan broke eye contact and fiddled with the bandage on his knuckles. Like he needed to be reminded of the hell his life had become, it was a national spectacle. This past year had been particularly rough for Logan, his mother had committed suicide and the erupting a media circus, had only gotten worse since his own father, Hollywood's favourite bad boy Action Star, Aaron Echolls, was arrested for killing Logan's girlfriend, the two of them had been having an affair. The there was a constant stream of paparazzi trying to infiltrate the school to get their scoop; Clements had had to oversee a new budget to increase the security on campus after several incidents regarding vandalism on the Echolls property and in the boys Locker. " I know there has been some additional tension between the two of you, over the Mars girl, but do yourself a favour Logan, try and make use of the guidance counsellors office, there is support here for you" he encouraged.

Logan just quietly nodded and jumped off the end of the examination table, mentions of Veronica was the quickest way to knock the wind right out of him. _La Douleur Exquise_ he thought bitterly as he wandered down the corridor towards his locker. She was going to be so pissed at him after this, Duncan her White Knight could do no wrong, yet in contrast, she always accused Logan of having the worst possible motives. Lately she just completely ignored him, lost in her nauseating infatuation with his former best friend. At least when the two of them hilariously had thought they were half siblings after Lianne Mars, Veronica's mothers long time affair with Duncan's father had been exposed Logan had stood half a chance.

It wasn't like this was a new arrangement, Duncan and Veronica had been on and off again for the better part of two years, the three of them had spent a lot of great time together when he had been dating Lilly. They were much more serious than Logan and Veronica had ever been, but that was before all the death and murder and mayhem, before the chaos, before Veronica had reached up shyly outside the Camelot Motel and kissed him for the first time.

He looked at the dent in the locker where his head had pounded into it during the fight. His phone chirped in his pocket again, another text from his adopted step-sister Trina demanding an answer to some interview offer with a producer friend of her boyfriends. He wandered out into the school picnic area, watching Duncan being tenderly scrutinized by the personification of his torment, Veronica. He hated himself for wallowing like this, it was so wretched.

"It's ok V, I think there's still a receipt someplace in the back of my car if you wanna climb in there with me and help me look" he declared ridiculously as she stared at him furiously. _That's right Mars,_ he thought. _Hi I exist, remember me? Your miserable heartbroken wreckage of an ex-boyfriend? Potentially Homicidal Crazy Douche-bag, son of the man who murdered your best friend and tried to kill you? How could she forget?_

The final bell rang and he gratefully stormed off the courtyard towards his car, away from her indignation and judgement. It was hard not to feel like you were letting her down when she glared at you like that, Logan always felt like he was letting her down, his mere presence was an offence in her blazing righteousness on the side of good and justice. She had seen through his father's lies, through the deception of some of the worst kinds of people in the world… _why couldn't she see him? Really see him?_

Pulling into his driveway he saw a familiar red sporty number in his driveway and heard music coming from inside. Mistress Casablanca's. Exactly what he needed he thought in amusement. Definitely girl on top because there was no way his ribs were up to anything particularly athletic today. The best thing about Kendall apart from the Carnal benefits was the fact she was a brunette, he got a blissful hour or two of not picturing a particular petite blond haired camera wielding former sheriffs daughter laid beneath him, her blond curls in his hands as her mouth explored his.

Watching Kendall undress, he was thankful for the more obvious differences, Veronica was petite, angelic, she had an innocent shy smile and always had that beautiful sense of discovering new territory for the first time, it made their encounters numinous. His stomach twisted in a horrible concoction of irritation and grief. _Why did he have to be thinking about her right now?_ Kendall was taller, tanned and fully fluent in the ways of sex, a hot blooded experienced woman who appreciated his talents.

"I don't have all day" she complained as she watched him unbutton his shirt.

"And yet you have been waiting all day, sending me naughty pictures, shame on you" he teased, sliding out of his trousers.

"What happened to you?" she retorted, the corners of her mouth curling in distaste, she was looking at the bruises forming on his ribs. She looked a little pissed off at him, like his injuries were somehow going to ruin her afternoon. So much for her nurturing skills.

"Oh you know, one of the other woman in my life, legs like a vice" he sneered as she gave him a once over, assessing him for potential use.

"You aren't going to be up to much play time today are you?" she asked him in disgust.

"I can be if you are gentle" he told her sarcastically, his hand on her chin, but he could see in by the annoyance in her eyes that this little rendezvous was cancelled for tonight. Sighing he watched her shake her head in aggravation.

"If I wanted Gentle" she began as she stepped away from him and grabbed her dress "I would have slept with my husband" she complained as she headed towards the front door.

"Was it good for you too?" he called out after her. "Rain check" he to the sound of the door slamming behind her.

Dammit, there went his distraction. Maybe Veronica would be so pissed at him she would come and give him a piece of her mind he pondered as his phone rang. A little shocked, he stared at it for a few minutes before picking up.

It was Duncan.

"We should hang out" he answered mockingly "Crack open a few beers, have a brawl, hey we could have a pay per view, I am sure Veronica would subscribe"

"I don't blame you for Lilly" Duncan responded firmly. "Just after today, I just wanted you to know that" he informed him before he hung up.

Logan stared at the phone, a lump starting to form in the back of his throat.

Fucking Bastard, even after their fight, Duncan still had to go and prove himself the better man. He sat on the edge of his bed and fought back the tears. Memories of Lilly and a simpler time of his life bubbled their way to the surface. He had missed his friend, the weight of feeling that blame had been crushing him ever since the truth had come out about his dad. How could Duncan not have blamed him? He blamed himself. Lilly never would have been anywhere near Aaron Echolls if she hadn't been dating Logan.

 _Fuck it…_ he was hitting the mini bar tonight again. Hells, he might even invite Dick and Beaver over, make a night of it. He would just have to induratize himself against the powers of Veronica Mars and her gravity in the morning. It hurt him to know that she never thought of him the way he thought about her. She couldn't scamper away quick enough when he was near her, since she had started seeing Duncan again, she had been actively going out of her way to avoid him, if they didn't share so many of the same classes, she would have been completely out of his orbit, which wouldn't have been as difficult for her, if he hadn't been actively trying to be a jackass, going out of his way to make her have to engage with him in every way possible.

He challenged her daily because it was better to cross the line and suffer the consequences than just stare at it. Being around her was like being caught in a brilliant sunlight, she made his world brighter, even if all he could do was catch glimpses of it. How foolish of him to not have savoured more of their time together that summer, if he had known she would leave him, he would have taken more time, committed her to memory, gone without sleep just to spend one more hour with her loving him, being his. He missed the tenderness in her voice when she had spoken to him, now it had an edge to it. Like she was preparing for conflict.

 _Passur a autre chose…_ the act of moving onto something else. Something she had mastered all too well, and something that he couldn't quite seem to manage. His feelings for her wasn't because she made him feel better about his miserable life, he ached for her; he couldn't breathe without her if he stopped to recognise it long enough. He was tragic; he was hopelessly in love with someone who he didn't have a chance with.

His thoughts drifted back to visions of the Neptune Grand suite and Duncan laying with his head in Veronica's arms, her caring for him and whispering how much she adored him. He knew the feeling all too well, the night his father had been arrested, the night Logan had been beaten badly but the PCH gang, he had been cradled in her arms. The jealousy of watching them together was destroying him and Logan was going to go crazy from it.

 _Fuck you Kendall_ … he thought as he climbed into the shower. Turning it on, he turned sinking to the floor on the wet tiles, he wished the water could just baptise him, that it would just wash him clean, leave him pristine and worthy, or that it would just help him drift away.

 _Fuck you Veronica…_ and fuck himself for still needing her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Veronica's voice demanded before Logan even saw her. He honestly hadn't been expecting her at all, after the fight with Duncan today at school, he supposed his presence may have made it onto her radar.

"Charming as hell?" he offered, drying his hair and stepping into his bedroom, wearing nothing but a towel. "Devilishly handsome?" he mocked as she came angrily into the room and stopped, her cheeks coloured with a slight embarrassed flush as she noticed his attire. His muscular body wrapped in nothing but a towel. "Occasionally I like to go with Roguishly Hot" He smiled sarcastically. His tone was nonchalant and he was glad it sounded as cold and harsh as it did, it was easier to deal with the lump forming in his throat when he was acting like a fucking asshole. His heart began to race slightly as he watched her briefly run her gaze over his body, it was so subtle he hadn't been sure she had at first. At least he could still get under her skin like this. She might have broken up with him but she was still as attracted to him as he was to her. No matter how indifferent he was pretending to be, he wasn't any more unaffected by her as she was by him.

"God, would you just STOP?" she snapped, her blue eyes blazing. "You have been picking fights with me for months, now you're attacking Duncan?" she accused him.

"I attacked Duncan?" he spluttered incredulously, throwing the small hand towel he had been holding onto the bed. Duncan had been the one to throw the first punch, but of course, her White Knight could do no wrong.

"Look, I get that you are jealous… but enough is enough" she glared.

"You think I'm jealous?" he repeated, biting his lip angrily and staring at the wall behind her.

"I think this is about your Pride" Veronica told him pointedly, her blue eyes throwing daggers at him.

 _Pride? Was she insane?_

"You think this is just about my Ego?" he demanded, closing the distance between them, he was furious. _Could she really think it was just that simple?_ She devoted her time to solving crimes and puzzles and figuring people out, and if she had even cared about him enough to take the time to really consider it for longer than 5 seconds the answer would be obvious to her. "You really think I did this to feel more like a man?" he asked mockingly.

"I think you'll do anything for attention" she declared coldly.

"Damn right I'll do anything for attention! Your attention…" he shouted, stepping closer to her. "I'm here remember? I exist… and I'm still in with love you!" he confessed, his breath was deep and his heart thundered in his chest. "But that doesn't count anymore right?"

Even as the words left his mouth Logan still was sure he would regret them, he wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting. She didn't respond, just stood there like a concrete angel in front of him with her mouth slightly open in stunned silence. He never could quite read her as well as he wanted to. She wasn't even looking at him now, her eyes were fixated on the door.

"Seeing you with him… well you get the idea…" he continued softly. "So okay, yeah.. I'm a little jealous" he told her before stepping away to get his clothes.

 _Confession is good for the soul…_ he thought bitterly.

"I wished he was you.." she said so quietly he hadn't even been sure he had heard her correctly. He stilled and stood exactly in place.

 _God don't say things like that Veronica…_ he begged silently. He knew she would never leave the safety of her teddy bears and ice-cream life with Duncan. He didn't say anything, just sighed deeply, putting his hands on his hips. He swallowed hard and the look she gave him could have sliced his heart out right then.

"That what you want to hear Logan?" she repeated tauntingly.

 _God, she could be such a bitch sometimes!_

"Yeah? That must suck for you" he told her coldly.

"I lay in bed at night with Duncan, and I find myself wishing he was gone… he looks at me with those blue eyes.. and a part of me hates it because they aren't brown" Veronica continued sarcastically. "You think I don't notice you exist Logan?" she snapped angrily. "You are everywhere all of the time and its driving me crazy…"

"Well if it's driving you so insane, why are you still with him and not with me?" he demanded simply, he had definitely lost his poker face now.

"Because I can't survive you Logan!" she exclaimed, her blue eyes starting to fill with tears.

 _What did that even mean?_ He sighed in frustration.

"You are so determined to get yourself hurt or worse… and I can't take that… I can't watch" Veronica told him.

"So you don't want to be with me because I'm a bad boy, huh Veronica?" he complained. _Why had he even said anything? It changed nothing._ "Duncan make you feel all happy and safe?" he spat satirically.

"I'm saying losing you is something I couldn't live with" she declared.

 _Losing you is something I couldn't live with…_ the words mocked him.

"And yet you have been doing it SO well without me around since you dumped me this summer!" Logan retorted, they were shouting at each other now. These last few months since their break up had been torture, watching her with Duncan every day at school was agony.

"I wouldn't know you never stop being a jackass long enough for me to figure out what it's like when you are gone!" she shouted. It was true, Logan went out of his way to pass sarcastic comments or just generally be obnoxiously there making his presence felt. Usually when he decided to use her shifts in Java the Hut to entertain other girls with his best friend Dick Casablancas.

"Yeah, well maybe you will get lucky and the PCHers will do you a favour and put me out of my misery next time" he mocked bitterly.

"Don't… don't you even…" Veronica warned him. The day of the bus crash that had claimed the lives of several of their classmates, and almost had taken hers had terrified her.. the thought of it all being over so suddenly, of never getting the chance to make it right, of never seeing him again had stolen something from her and here he was joking about just throwing himself in the firing line for kicks?

"Why not Veronica?" he taunted hatefully. "It would make your Malibu Dream Set Life so much prettier without me around"

"I love you, you idiot!" she confessed and he felt like she had punched him right in the stomach. He blinked away tears, there it was… the words he had spent all their summer together trying to get her to tell him. "I've tried to get it to go away… and believe me.. nothing will work" her small hands were tucked into her pockets and she stared at the floor, biting her lower lip.

"I don't really know what you expect me to do with that information.." he replied, running his hand through his almost dry hair. _God the Mars girl really messed with his head_.

"You think I do?" she snapped, her blue eyes finally meeting his, her pulse was racing.

"I think you broke my heart Veronica…" he said simply. "I think seeing you be with him is torture, and I think you already knew that…" his voice was thick with emotion. He didn't want to fight anymore, it wasn't going to get them anywhere, and he was still sore from the bruises on his ribs.


	3. Chapter 3

"I think you broke my heart Veronica…" Logan said simply. "I think seeing you be with him is torture, and I think you already knew that…" his voice was thick with emotion and the words were still ringing in her ears.

Veronica had hoped that with time and conscious thought that they would be able to untangle themselves from one another and become friends again but while she had clung to her old-new-again-boyfriend Duncan Kane for some kind of stability, Logan had spiralled into too many party's and too many bimbos, now it seems it had been an attempt at solace and not the reverting to form she had been accusing him of.

 _Why couldn't she just get over him?_

She knew she should leave, there was too much history here, too many ghosts between them. Most notably the ghost of Lilly Kane, the girl whom had been Veronica's best friend, Logan's first girlfriend and the girl whom his own father, Aaron Echolls, A List Movie Star, had murdered.

"Look Veronica… maybe you should just go" he said softly, running a hand through his damp brown hair, wincing slightly as he sat onto the edge of his bed. If her feet would move she knew she should be. "Didn't you hear me? I said get out!" he snapped. She bit her lip as the first few tears slipped down her face, breaking eye contact she took off out of the bedroom. Logan tried to resist the urge to follow her but the second he heard the first sob as she walked down the corridor away from him, he was already half way out the door behind her.

"Wait…" he called out.

"What am I a yo-yo?" she snapped crossly, her blond hair whipping around as she turned to face him. "Make up your damn mind Logan!" she told him, her pulse was racing, her breathing was laboured.

"Make up my… God Veronica, your hypocrisy is mind-blowing" he scoffed. Their little verbal sparring never seemed to be over, trying to provoke each other.

"You're treating me like I'm the villain here Logan" Veronica told him.

"The Villain? No, Didn't you hear? That would be me.." he mocked, pointing at himself "Murderer and all, runs in the family… just ask my dad" he continued sarcastically, referring to the Felix Toomes murder accusation he was still under suspicion for.

"There's just no talking to you is there?" she said rhetorically before turning to walk away again.

"Why are you even here?" Logan snapped. The question would be torturing him for the next few days. Trying to crack her motives was driving him crazy.

"To check on you!" she argued back.

"Well your concern is heartfelt… thank you for being my own personal Florence Nightingale" he told her scornfully. He felt something in his stomach twist, _why were these words spewing out of his mouth less than 5 minutes after she had just told him that she loved him?_ He just couldn't seem to stop it.

 _"I love you, you idiot!"_ her words rattled around in his head.

"Well I might as well be since I broke up with Duncan" she told him angrily.

Logan could have sworn he felt his heart stop, he didn't even want to acknowledge what she had just said encase he had misheard something.

"What are you trying to do to me Veronica?" he pleaded. These games had to stop.

"I don't know…" she confessed stepping forwards, her fingers traced the bruises on his ribcage. Her hands were cold, but the feel of her touch on his skin was setting something within him on fire. As far as bodies went, Logan's was like sculpted marble, he was tall, tanned and always in great shape from all the swimming and surfing. She allowed her gaze to follow her thoughts all the way down to the realization that he was still dressed in nothing but a towel. This was as much of that muscled torso as she had seen up close, he had usually still worn a t shirt while they were making out. She swallowed hard and pulled her hand away shyly, he grabbed her wrist and stepped right up against her.

"What do you want Veronica?" he whispered, his eyes were chocolate pools, she felt like she was going to drown in them. Her pulse was racing, her mouth was getting dry, the warmth of his body so close to her made it impossible to form coherent thoughts. Logan watched as she squirmed slightly under his scrutiny, she was embarrassed again, he knew these kinds of signs well. She was flustered. He knew she wasn't very experienced; she had only been with Duncan a handful of times. The thought of them being together made him feel possessive. Hell yes he was jealous. Sex with other girls just didn't excite him the same way their make out sessions had, her moaning against his mouth when he held her in his arms. Her nipples hard against his palm when he had cupped her breast under her shirt.

Boldly she reached forwards gripped the towel around his waist and pulled it open, his mouth opened in surprise.

"Fine Egyptian cotton" she answered sarcastically and dropped it onto the floor.

Naked he advanced right up to her and cupped her face, capturing her lips with his, he pulled her against him and kissed her passionately until she was dizzy from the taste of him, when he took a step back from her, she stumbled forwards, disorientated. Her lips tingling from where his had been pressed up against hers, she panted and steadied herself as he gave her a knowing smile.

"Liar"


	4. Chapter 4

The moment Logan's lips touched hers, Veronica Mars knew the truth that she had been denying, she hadn't been living her life normally without him since their break up this summer. She had only been existing in his absence. Dating Duncan had been like trying to keep her heart on Life Support but it was only temporary, when Logan was with her…it was only then she truly felt alive. She had thrown herself into her private investigation cases and working at Java the Hut, but all this work had only been the balm she used to try and soothe her soul.

Logan had accused her of breaking his heart when she had broken up with him a few months ago, the bitter truth was, she had broken her own as well. A part of her had honestly hoped that the fear of losing her, of losing _them_ would have been enough to galvanise the kind of changes she had been pleading with him to make. To stop his allowing the 09ers to feed his fears and fuel the feud with the Pacific Coast Highway Biker Club, also known as the PCH. It had been just after the drive by on his car while they had been making out in the back seat that she realised she needed to give him an ultimatum for both their sakes. She had hoped that by giving him the choice of continuing the plots against the PCHers or losing her, that he would have chosen her, but they had argued and her father Former Sheriff of Neptune Keith Mars had come home and made him leave before they could really thrash it out, so he never got the message. She was on his side, she had his back too and she had wanted him to let her in, to deal with the threats together.

Veronica had watched in misery as Weevil and the other PCHers continued their harassment of him at school and his behavioural problems with their teachers had escalated, he was often hungover in class and had dropped out of the journalism club. Each of his absences had her heart in her throat until she had see him a few days later, usually spewing some kind of sarcastic remark at her, which she had taken because honestly, everything that had happened to him had been her fault. He never would have been on the bridge that night Felix Toomes had been stabbed, had she only confronted Logan about his alibi the day Lilly Kane, her best friend had been murdered, about why that shot glass had been in Lilly's car. Weevil would never have overheard her conversation with her father, Keith Mars when he had been updating her on giving the evidence to Sheriff Lamb and the PCHers never would have went out for blood looking for Logan that night. She should have trusted him.

 _"What are you trying to do to me Veronica?"_ he had asked her. Truly, she didn't know.

Even fresh from the shower, he still smelled like the ocean, he always smelled like the ocean salt and chocolate. It suited him, being with Logan was like riding a stormy sea, thrilling, exhilarating and terrifying. Perhaps it was fitting that she had once been a cheerleader for the Neptune Pirates. Logan Echolls had crawled up and set up camp inside her arteries, he was in her veins and she just couldn't get him out. Their first kiss that day outside the Camelot Motel when he had come to her rescue had been like someone had slapped the cosmos through her body. Star-crossed.

Her father, Keith Mars was currently in San Diego touring for his book. Big Murder, Small Town. The journey into catching murderous movie star Aaron Echolls for slaying Lilly Kane. He wouldn't be home until tomorrow. She didn't have to hurry home. Wallace and his new girlfriend Jackie had rented Pride and Prejudice themselves after she had told him that she was breaking up with Duncan and she wouldn't be available. She had no where else to be tonight. That knowledge coupled with the sight of him standing naked in front of her made her have to swallow hard against her heart beat thundering in her throat.

Veronica had never really considered legs before, but his were quite sexy and seeing all of him like this, just made him that much more breath taking, that much more physically impressive. Her gaze lingered as she memorised every curve of him. Who knew she was this bashful?

When there was so much perfection in front of her, she just didn't know what to do with her hands, she wanted to take her clothes off and rub herself against him, kiss every inch of skin. His body was new undiscovered territory and she just wanted to touch him all over, explore it with hers, with her finger tips, her mouth, her tongue, she wanted to inhale that ocean breeze and have it fill her pores until she didn't know where he ended and she began.

 _Look whose Horny Mars…_ she thought scolding herself as a soft happy moan escaped her when his lips collided with hers, he kissed her deep and slowly, pulling her into him and teased her tongue with his, he devoured her mouth until she lost all other thoughts and was melting into his touch and then he pulled away from her, surprising her, leaving her staggering forwards at the absence of his masculine body against her. He stepped slightly away looked at her knowingly, she was trying to catch her breath and his hungry eyes burned into her. It was a challenge.

They would sink or swim depending on her next move.

"Liar" he taunted.

 _"What do you want Veronica?"_ his words echoed around her head.

"It's not just about what I want Logan…" she told him closing the distance between them. "It's about what I need" she reached her arms around him and pulled his mouth back to hers. His touch was like a vital organ, his taste was essential, she needed it like air. She scratched her nails into his shoulder as she drew him closer and he lost his hesitations and spun them so she was pinned up against the wall.

"Not good enough.." he gasped. "What do you want Veronica?"

"You… Just you" she whispered as their breath intermingled. "I almost died on that bus Logan.. and when I didn't.. all I could think about was you…" she confessed, cupping his face in her hand.

 _Say something Logan…_ she pleaded.

The mention of the bus crash tore through him and he tightened his hands around her waist to hold her closer against him. It had been in the first few days back at school and had killed several of their classmates, when he had heard about it on the radio, his heart had stopped. The only reason she had survived was Weevil Navarro had been giving her a ride after the bus had left the gas station without on their way back from a school trip. He had seen Veronica and Duncan getting onto the bus that morning, and he had been frantic trying to find out if she had been hurt. It had crushed him when he had come back to school when Dick and Beaver's dads' limo had returned them to the school with the surviving kids on the field trip that morning to see her wrapped up in Duncan's arms. He had wanted to hold her, to touch her and make sure she was unscathed but he had had to watch someone else's arms comfort her. He wanted to take care of her, protect her, nothing in the world mattered as much as keeping her safe. It's why he had gotten so caught up in sending the PCHers a message to back off after that drive by on his car that had almost killed them both.

"When I heard about that crash…" he breathed. _The thought of never getting to hold her again, of losing any chance to ever make it right, of having the last time he had seen her alive was him behaving like a total jackass…_

She ran her hand down his back and kissed his cheek, leaning into his chest, she just stood there, cradled in his embrace.

"If we are going to do this again Veronica… I'm not letting you go this time" his voice was thick with promise.

Logan Echolls was contraband. He was a drug and if they did this, she was going to be hooked.

 _All or Nothing Mars…_ she thought boldly as she grabbed the buttons of her pink blouse and started to open them.


	5. Chapter 5

For Mood Music for this Scene, Bryce Fox - Horns

Logan Echolls watched transfixed as Veronica opened her blouse; his mind was still trying to catch up with the events currently happening in his hallway. She had broken up with his former best friend Duncan Kane only a few hours ago, she had come to his house uninvited and screamed at him for constantly being around her and acting like a jackass. This had been more of his attempt at a self-defence mechanism; even if it had been destructive towards allowing them any kind of reconciliation. He hadn't wanted her back in his life unless he could be with her. Selfish as that may have been. Then she had told him that she loved him right back and that she wanted him, not Duncan. That she needed him as much as he had craved her, and now she was pulling off her soft pink shirt and shrugging it off her shoulders. He had made it clear to her that he wasn't in the mood to play games, if they did this… if she chose him, then she was choosing to be all in, all or nothing. He wasn't willing to lose her again, part of him had thought, and maybe hoped out of fear for her safety given his crazy life, and the on-going feud with the PCHers, that she would run from him. She hadn't, instead she had dug in her heels and looked him square in the eye and made her choice.

She wanted him too…

He reached his hand out and traced his finger along her collarbone; the soft pale skin was smooth beneath his touch. He stared into her splendidly resolute blue eyes and glided his hand down to cup her petite breasts, the nipple straining against the lacy white and pink fabric. The look in his gaze was deeply appreciative and so hungry it made her pulse quicken, the pink shirt was sliding down her back, over her elbows and when it got to her wrists as she tried to wriggle her hands free from the sleeves he grabbed the middle of it, wrapped it around his hand, trapping her arms by her sides, he moved his lips to her neck. Her body was fantasy fodder and he wanted to take his time. He only got to take her for the first time once, and he wanted to make it count, and if after this, she freaked out and changed her mind, decided she wanted to run back to Duncan and the safety of his teddy bears and vanilla ice-cream romance… he would make sure that this was an experience she would never be able to forget, she'd never be satisfied with anyone but him again. Caressing her he took his time kissing her neck, nibbling her ear and massaging her breast, he felt intoxicated at the scent of her skin.

Marshmallows and Promises…

Their summer together, he had tried to be a gentleman, to take his time and savour each uncovered new territory. Falling in love with her was probably the first time he had ever really truly been in love if he was honest with himself about it. Lilly Kane hadn't loved him the way he had loved her, she had cheated on him with Weevil, played with him constantly and treated him like dirt. She even screwed his dad. But Veronica… she was everything he craved, loyal, she fought fiercely for those she loved, she was beautiful and she had a strength that he admired, she wouldn't back down. She was stubborn and passionate. He wanted someone like that to be in his life, to be loved that fiercely, to have someone that deeply loyal be with him.

How could he explain to her that she felt like his Home? That for the first time, ever… he felt like he could really lay his hopes and dreams out there with someone. That he had a sense that he belonged somewhere? She was the eye of his storm. The safe harbour, and no one else would ever be as perfect for her as they were together. No one else could measure up.

"Logan…" she moaned his name softly as he traced his free hand from her breasts to the button on her jeans, kissing this particular spot on her neck always gave her that dizzy contented look he remembered from their make out sessions. She sighed happily and wriggled her wrists a little, trying to free her hands but he gripped the shirt making it tighter. He wasn't done yet. He trailed kisses along her collar bone and all the way down to her chest, to her stomach, his free hand opening her jeans, he mapped out her naked flesh with his kisses until he was kneeling in front of her looking up when he let go of the shirt so she could free herself as he slipped his hands to her waist and slid her jeans down her hips. Her blue eyes blazed with desire as she watched him, he ran the fabric down her legs and she helped him by kicking off her pumps and stepping her legs carefully out of the jeans, she held onto his shoulders to keep herself steady. Discarding them onto the floor behind them he traced a hand up her leg and squeezed her buttocks. Veronica was short and petite, so seeing him kneeling in front of her was a surreal experience, he kissed along her stomach, down her thigh and then he parted her legs, gripping her left leg and kissing along her inner thigh. She felt so exposed, no one had ever kissed her this way before, and his other hand reached up and cupped her breast. The man had a mouth made for sin.

He hadn't even REALLY touched her and yet she could feel herself aching with need for him, she wanted him to fill her, to thrust inside her with that delicious friction until they were both consumed with it.

"FYI if the cuddling was the best part… He didn't do it right…"

Logan had told her that morning she had snuck out of Duncan's motel room, if he could get her this worked up and starving for him, just from his kisses without ever really TOUCHING her… then he was right. Duncan had had no idea what he was doing.. but Logan? If her body was an instrument he was playing a symphony. She was powerless against this wanting of him. Veronica reached up and unhooked her bra, throwing it on the floor behind them, he stopped kissing her thigh and swallowed the view of her standing there against the wall, lips swollen from his kisses, her pert breasts naked, desire written all over her face. She looked like she had been sculpted by angels just for his eternal damnation. Passion turned her eyes into orbs of the brightest fire and she stood there waiting for him to make his next move, her thumbs looped through the waist of her lace white panties and she started to slide them down. Logan felt his heart beat begin to race, she was his… and she was right here offering herself to him.

Logan wanted to expose his heart to her, to really connect and forge them together in the fire of whatever this need was between them until they were inseparable. This was a hard wired, soul-bound kind of love.

She stepped out of her knickers and he swallowed hard as he looked at all of her, this image was going to be burned into his mind forever, he trailed his hand along her petite hips and stood up again, his mouth colliding with hers, his arms around her body, despite his sore ribs he yanked her up and she yelped in surprise. He carried her towards the couch behind them. He was so hard and eager to take her right there against the wall, but the things he was planning to do to her, it was safer if he could even the playing field first. She devoured his kisses moaning softly at the feel of him pressed so close to her.

"I love you Veronica" he swore as he laid her back against the couch, kissing her neck. "I love you" he repeated as he trailed his left hand along her stomach, clutching her breast in his hand. He was kneeling in front of her as she sat upright with her legs open, she was so wet and beautifully exposed before him. He trailed his other hand down to stroke his fingers against the soft curls between her legs, she gasped as his thumb brushed against her clitoris and he slipped a finger inside her, her hands reaching out to grip his elbow as he began a slow torturous come hither motion. The wanton look of pure lust on her face made her look like she had been cut straight out of a men's magazine. Her lips parted in a silent pleading cry, he felt her shiver against his palm, squeezing around his fingers. If the gods are real, he told himself, then this woman is their masterpiece. Her skin was like silk over glass, shoulder length wavy blonde hair, so smooth and silky, sprawled around the cushion behind her as she threw her head back in pleasure.

 _Oh Christ she was so ready for him._

Her toes curled and her legs began to tremble, she was trying to say something but he could see she was lost in the sensations building as he played with her. He smiled at her, it wasn't often he could truly render her speechless, even when she was fully clothed there was something about Veronica made her the hottest girl he knew, here with her naked in front of him, her head thrown back in pleasure she was irresistible. The fact that he knew she was usually chaste despite her flirtatiousness and she was allowing him to be with her this way, was very arousing. She was giving him VIP behind the scenes access and the knowledge was delicious. He leaned forwards and kissed her, she moaned into his mouth and her hips began to move in time with his hand, riding his fingers. Feeling how keen her body was for him had his libido fighting him for control, he wanted to take his time, show her exactly what she had been missing, but he was desperate to sink the length of himself inside her tight warm pussy. Her body writhed against him and she arched her back, crying softly into his mouth, it was overwhelming… he could barely contain himself now, and he hadn't even used his tongue to taste her yet.

She whispered his name again and her eyes looked up at him begging.

No Mars.. When I'm finished with you… no other man will ever be good enough for you again… he thought possessively. He wasn't proud of this cave man part of himself, of his jealousy, in many ways these feelings for her brought out the worst in him, but he couldn't help it. Something about her had coiled itself deep inside him, he was drawn to her like ocean tide to the moon. It was gravity and he couldn't shake free from her orbit.

Veronica felt her pulse racing, she felt like her body was erupting in a tiny earthquake, this had never happened before… maybe once after that one time Lilly had explained to her how to touch herself and she had gotten curious but she had stopped before things had gotten too intense. This felt like her body was under his complete control, it was building towards an explosion and it was a little frightening, he must have noticed the panicked look in her eyes as her breath started to come faster because his gaze became very tender and he kissed her cheek. "It's ok…" he soothed. "It's supposed to feel this way" he reassured her as he kissed her neck and nibbled her ear. It felt like her insides were fluttering around his fingers, and his thumb was still tickling her clitoris in teasing figure 8s. She looked into his eyes for some guidance, she was still learning what her body needed and he already seemed to have it all figured out. Did he have a decoder ring for how to make her orgasm? Were there instructions on how to drive her wild written on her body in invisible ink?

She felt it in her blood, arousal, need, she could smell the notes of lime and lemongrass from his shower gel as the stubble on his face grazed her cheek. He was so hard against her leg, he wanted her… what was taking him so long? She craved him now and even though she cried out as the orgasm shook through her body, he wasn't giving in. She moved her hand from his shoulder reach out to stroke him, to run her hand along his shaft and he jerked backwards suddenly. His brown eyes scolding her.

"Not yet…" he warned, gripping her ass and shifted her from her seated position, he drew her sideways until laying on her back length ways along the couch, her hips resting the arm of the chair, he gripped her legs and kissed along her thighs before he licked along the inner part of her with his tongue. She gasped in surprise at the foreign sensation. Her only other lover, Duncan had never done anything like this to her before, her cheeks burned from embarrassment at her compromised position. He flicked his tongue against her clitoris and she thought she was going to explode.

"God Logan!" she cried out, his head was still between her legs, she continued to come in lingering waves, her hands buried in her hair, she felt like she was coming untethered, the only thing keeping her grounded was the feel of his arms locked around her hips. Logan part-groaned, part-growled in satisfaction as she called out his name, her breasts quivered, the nipples hard and standing like little soldiers, he would be capturing them in his mouth soon, he wasn't sure how much longer he could resist delving into her. He loved the slender thickness of her thighs in his hands as he tasted her, taking his time to torment her core with his mouth, his hands gripped her ass and he nibbled her inner thigh as he tried to cool down a little. She used the opportunity as he paused to get his breath back to shimmy away from him, her legs were shaking and she was panting, she looked annoyed at him, frowning accusingly like he hadn't been playing fair.

"Foreplay, I'm just getting started Bobcat" he told her. "You _want_ me…?"

 _Damn right she wanted him…_

He was crouched at the end of the couch, his chiselled body hard and waiting. How did he have so much control? Surely he was just as on fire as she was?

"I do want you Logan.." Veronica replied, something flickered in her eyes he noted, and her tone betrayed she was feeling vulnerable and a little insecure despite all the fireworks. "You're teasing me…" she pleaded. This whole experience was very intense, she had never wanted someone as much as this before, never offered up so much of herself and it was taking up a lot of trust… she needed his encouragement. He felt a little guilty, he had gotten so carried away, but so much of this was new to her.

"Hey.. it's ok.." he assured her as Logan approached her on the couch, picked her up gently, kissing her and carried her back to his bedroom.


	6. Chapter 6

Logan Echolls lay in his bed watching Veronica sleeping against his chest, her blond hair cool against his chest, she was nestled up against him and he felt his heart ache. He was afraid to sleep encase this really all was just a dream and he would wake up and find her gone. Loving her was desperate, he belonged to her, every fibre of his being, he wanted to wrap himself around her like this forever and protect her, but she was the kind of girl who always took care of herself. She didn't need anybody to look after her… except he needed her to.

"You're staring at me again" she said sleepily.

"I never stop staring at you" he chuckled, caught in the act. He wrapped his arms around her tighter and pulled her to him.

"Which can be a little unnerving" she told him, opening her dreamy eyes, her voice was soft and she yawned a slightly.

"Yeah, well you do have this habit of dodging me sometimes… seems I don't know quite what to do to keep a hold of you" he teased as she stretched and they rolled over, him spooning into her back.

"Yeah? I think you figured out a pretty effective way to keep me right where you want me when we were on the couch" she reminded him, as he cuddled up against her.

"I still think I want to tattoo my name just here…" he said as he kissed her shoulder. "Just so you don't forget" he joked. He couldn't remember a time in his life that he had ever felt this happy or content. True she hadn't told him she loved him without also calling him an idiot in the same sentence yet, but at least she was here, and he had been an idiot. He had been a fool to ever think this was something he could live without. His life often felt like he was constantly treading water, always trying to surf against raging seas… and here with her cradled against him, it was still. He could just lay back and enjoy the waves and being perfectly present in the moment.

"I think my dad would have something to say about that" Veronica giggled. Keith Mars wasn't Logan's biggest fan, he hated him in fact. It might have had something to do with the fact he was the son of the murderer who had single-handedly ruined the man's career. Aaron Echolls. A List Movie Star.

"Invisible Ink…" He teased, cupping her breast in his hand and kissing her neck. "I wish you could come back here after class" he sighed as he looked at the angry red letters on his digital clock, school was starting soon.

"My dad's back today" Veronica reminded him.

"I know…" he replied sadly. "Still doesn't stop me wanting you to come home to me"

"You are still suspended" she sighed. The fight with Duncan Kane, her ex-boyfriend yesterday had resulted in Logan being suspended from school for the next three days. She would have to face the 09ers and the rest of the student body and their rumours alone when she went to class.

"You could bring me my homework?" he teased, rolling her hardening nipple around in his fingers. They only had 40 minutes before the alarm would go off. "Or you could home school me?" he suggested, tracing his other hand over her stomach past her naval and down towards her legs. She smiled at his naughty proposal but shook her head.

"So Mr Clemmons can call my dad?" she asked and he pouted, pulling her buttocks against his throbbing shaft.

"Damn Veronica… you just have that effect on me" Logan sulked. His mind was thinking of a hundred other ways he wanted to spend their day, most of them involved taking her into his kitchen and feeding her breakfast using their bodies as impromptu plates, climbing into the hot tub and taking his time making up for the last few months he had been missing. He hugged her tighter, there was so much uncertainty in his life, his father's trial, what was going to happen with the PCHers at school, whether or not the Felix Toomes murder investigation was truly behind him… but the one certainty he had, was how he felt about her. This moment, this thing between them. She made him feel giddy. He always lost his cool when she was around, with other girls, he had game, he could be charming and smooth, but with her he could be reduced to a tongue-tied idiot. His world felt brighter when she was nearby. He wanted her to be his leading lady. "Can you blame me? I just want to wake up with you every morning.. just like this" he whispered.

Veronica felt butterflies in her stomach, the previous evening had been completely unplanned, unexpected and more than a little part of her was screaming to run. This thing between them… it was so intense, so electrifying and their chemistry was explosive. No wonder they had spent so much time arguing with one another, when a tornado met a volcano, what other reaction could there possibly be?

 _"If we are going to do this again Veronica… I am not letting you go this time"_ he had promised last night. She knew he had meant every word… and in the moment she had made the decision to go all or nothing… but this morning, the force of their connection was scaring her. Not that she didn't love him, she did. It's just love... and the trust and exposure that came with it made her want to bolt out the door. It was a liability. Love was like handing someone a roadmap to your heart and handing them the combination to leave you a hollowed out broken shell. She prided herself on making smarter choices than that… on not being a mark.

Logan Echolls wasn't a mark… he had the potential to be the greatest scar she would carry.

"You wanna head out with me and we can get breakfast?" she proposed, looping her fingers around his and bringing his wandering hands back to her stomach and away from their teasing. He smelled the nape of her neck and whined a little, he didn't want to get out of bed.

"I have a kitchen you know… I think I remember how to make pancakes" he countered, cuddling her. It was endearing that he didn't want the day to start, yet she was eager to get some space to collect her thoughts.

"Although if memory serves… you don't have the Java Juice Mermaid Supreme I need to start my day with so much citrusy goodness and pulp" she replied jokingly.

"Oh.. you are killing me Mars!" he chuckled, but he didn't let go of her. "You are already a genius… do you really need to spend another day back in classes?" he pleaded.

"If I don't go… however will I get your assignments to bring over later?" she smiled, turning to face him.

"But if you do go… however will I survive the day without you?" he flirted, he had a happy easy-going smile on his face and it made her heart do a blissful little dance in her chest.

Ok, she may have had her doubts about last night in the cold light of morning… but seeing this sweet side of him again, the one she had fallen for, she could surrender some of her more knee jerk reactions and just enjoy the moment. He was still hard against her thigh, so she smirked and pushed him onto his back, straddling him.

"I think I have an idea on how to tide you over…" she gasped as she sank herself onto the length of him, filling her, his eyes widened in surprise as he grabbed onto her hips and growled as she devoured his lips.


	7. Chapter 7

"Well thank god!" Wallace Fennel declared as he approached his locker to see Veronica Mars, his best friend standing swapping over her books getting ready for her first period English class. "Where the hell you been Mars?" he asked, frowning in frustration.

"In Neptune for the last 18years 2 months and 23 days? Or did you have a particular timeline?" She smirked.

"Last night?" he elaborated. "Jackie and I called by.. after that stuff you sent me about the fight with Duncan, I wanted to make sure you was ok" his brown eyes demanding an explanation. He was her best friend, the first person she had ever fully trusted after the memories of her night at Shelly Pomorys party had surfaced, she could tell him almost anything. Plus their parents were dating, so that made him practically her brother these days.

"Did you mention that to your mom?" she asked, panicked. Their parents had been currently spending the previous few nights in San Diego promoting her father's new book, they had taken Wallace's younger brother with them, spending most of the day yesterday at the zoo.

"No! As usual I covered for you, I thought you two might have been over trying to work things out.. Less I know the better, but your car still wasn't there this morning when I drove by" Wallace scolded.

"Yeah… I wasn't at home, and I wasn't with Duncan, please don't say anything" she pleaded nervously as she closed her locker door.

"You working on a case?" he asked as he twirled the combination to his locker. "Is that a hickey?" he declared suddenly, pointing at her neck line.

"No…" Veronica squirmed, fixing her scarf over the lower part of her collar bone. It was in moments like this she envied his chocolate complexion, her cheeks flushed and he raised his eyebrows at her, expecting an answer. The mark on her neck was a left over from when Logan had bitten down a little as he had thrust inside her… even the memory of their night together made her blush like mad, everywhere.

"I thought you said you weren't with Duncan…?" he accused, lifting the book out of his locker.

"I wasn't" she confessed, her blue eyes finally met his, guilty.

"Veronica Mars….? Oh hell no!" he glowered. "Please tell me you weren't with Logan Echolls?" his voice was critical.

Veronica looked at him helplessly, unable to deny it.

"Girl, you really are something… that guy is dangerous!" Wallace scolded. Veronica knew just what he was thinking, he had given her the same lecture many times before about how compromised her decision making was when it came to Logan Echolls. It was true though, so much of her judgement got cloudy when it came to him, there was so much history wrapped up in their journey to and from each other. So many memories of Lilly in there too.

 _"What kinda dude makes you have a secret relationship? I mean.. look what he did to your car!"_

 _"What kind of guy.. doesn't know anything about his girls best friend? He doesn't even know my name!"_

 _"You nearly got killed in a god damn drive by!"_

If there was one thing other than sports that fused Keith Mars and Wallace Fennel into a cohesive team, it had been their adamant tag-team that she should end the relationship last summer with Logan after the arson of the local swimming pool.

She knew Wallace liked Duncan her ex-boyfriend, the two of them were in athletics together, the three of them regularly hung out at lunch, went on double dates together with the girls who Wallace dated. It was normal, she got to be a regular teenage girl with Duncan, homecoming dances and movie nights with friends.

"The heart wants what the heart wants Wallace…" she told him. She knew this was just a taste of the judgement she would be facing over this decision, most of the 09ers hadn't bothered with her today. Duncan was also suspended for the next few days after the fight, which was a relief to not have to see him as well.

 _"You… are perfect for the Veronica, who had Lilly as her best friend.. the girl whose dad was Sheriff.. but I've changed since we lost her Duncan… who I was, will always love you.. but who I am… can't"_

She had explained and he seemed to have taken it well enough, perhaps it made the struggle he had over loyalties to Meg on life support right now and those of being her attentive boyfriend that much more simple, because she could have sworn part of him seemed relieved. She just wasn't sure if he was still going to be as relieved when he found out that she and Logan had reconnected… she couldn't exactly say what they were at this moment, was she his girlfriend? His Lover? Was he her Soulmate?

"The heart wants..?" Wallace shook his head, perhaps it was something in the way she looked kind of lost, but his face softened a little. "He's still bad news, V.. we almost lost you last time you got involved with him.. his dad.. tried to burn you alive.. in a freezer. Your dad is not going to be ok with this"

"Then can you see why I need my best friend right now?" she pleaded.

"You know I always got your back Veronica… I just sure hope you know what you are doing" Wallace told her before he walked off to class. She watched him leave and saw Weevil Navarro and some of the other PCHers looking in her direction before skulking off down the corridor. Their war with Logan and the rest of his toadies was still on-going and by dating Logan, she had pretty much drawn a line in the sand. It was like picking a side.

 _So do I Wallace_ … she thought. _So do I._


	8. Chapter 8

Logan moped about the kitchen making himself a sandwich, he kept checking his phone for texts from Veronica, nothing so far other than the one she had sent him this morning saying she was heading to class, but that was to be expected, she didn't get a break until 4th period. He felt restless, he wondered what she was doing right now, his heart ached, he missed her. He was still trying to think of something goofy to make her smile to let her know she was on his mind… but all he could really come up with was lewd suggestions of what he really wanted to do to her later.

 _"I love you.. you idiot!"_

Why did she think she could say things like that to him… give herself to him the way she did last night… and then think it was perfectly ok to leave him like this and go to school the next morning?

Logan wanted to look up the prices for private islands, and get one just for the two of them… why did there have to be all those other people in this world?

He stared at the hallway to his bedroom, the spot where she had unbuttoned her pink blouse, stripped down naked and he had seen her fully for the first time, his gaze shifted to the couch, where she had come screaming his name like a prayer while he had tasted her, his mouth on her pussy. The echoes of their intense connection had forever marked that couch with the memories, he doubted he would ever be able to look at it again without feeling so aroused.

 _"You are everywhere all of the time and its driving me crazy…"_

He knew the feeling, he felt like he was strung out, craving another fix. She had taken control this morning, rode him until he was panting and aching for her long after he had come inside her. He rattled around in the cupboards again, but there was nothing in there to satiate his need.

Tensions with the PCHers had been at fever pitch this week, and several of his friends were still pissed at him for his fight with Duncan Kane yesterday, so as much as he really wanted to put together a little lunch and go pick Veronica up and whisk her away down to the beach with him.. she had advised against it. At least at this early stage, until she could talk to her father, Keith Mars about whatever.. this.. was.

He was just really hoping she didn't pull the rug out from under him this time, she was a daddy's girl, and Keith Mars detested him. He was the reason that Veronica had refused to see him after the night she dumped him, he was the reason he hadn't been able to call over to her house to plead for a second chance. He really hoped this time could be different, she had a habit of bolting when things got too much sometimes. She had dodged him and avoided his calls in the past and he didn't want to acknowledge it, but he was carrying around a little knot of worry that she would use this time away from him to decide she was better off without him and all the drama.

There was no one else for him, he only wanted her. After last night? She had ruined him… no one else would ever come close. He just wished the anxiety didn't get to him so much. Perhaps he should be attributing this fear of abandonment to his mother, Lynn Echolls, after her suicide, this part of him was stronger than ever. It had been bad after Lilly's murder, but now it made him scared to offer up this part of himself at all.. because he knew how deeply he fell in love with someone. Hook line and sinker… no returns, do not pass go, do not collect $200. He just became completely smitten.

He had known how much he cared for her that night they were sitting in his car and he told her he loved her for the first time and moments later, the glass had shattered from a shot gun blast… and two days later, he was sitting on her couch and she had been breaking up with him. Of course he had lost it… he had just bared his soul, told her he was in love with her… then she had almost been killed in his arms. Was he cursed? First Lilly… and then someone had tried to kill him and Veronica. He had needed her more than ever; to have her close to him so he could do everything in his power to keep her safe… then she had dumped him. The only sliver of light in his entire world had shut him out into the darkness. Of course, he had overreacted.. but when you feel like you are about to die… don't you go down fighting?

His phone chirped pulling him out of the storm clouds rolling around in his head.

 _"I'm thinking about you x"_

A grin broke out all over his face and he smiled at his phone… the feeling in his chest was so deliriously light and happy it felt like listening to a Jason Mraz song. He was hers. If he couldn't get her out onto the beach with him… maybe he could talk her into finally taking that trip out with him on his father's boat? A real date.. candle light and champagne. He hadn't been able to really take her out on a real date before. Not really. Before his father Aaron Echolls arrest, she had suspected him of being Lilly's murderer because of the shot glass he had left in her car. Then it had been a media circus after Felix's death, 6 weeks of court appearances and house arrest. The one night they had actually managed something close had been the Friday night after Summer School.. the Neptune Plaza for some arcade games and pizza, and wandering around the end of summer carnival. He had told her he loved her that night… and well, shot gun pellets hurling through the window followed by a few hours of Sheriff Lamb and police reports tended to ruin the mood. He hadn't had another opportunity to try romance because she had broken up with him.

It was a side of him he rarely got to show someone, he was usually a casual player when it came to girls in the 18 months since Lilly's death because the fear of losing someone like that again had been pain he wasn't sure he would survive risking. Then Veronica had kissed him for the first time and it was like he had been jolted back to life… he wanted candy hearts, fluffy teddy bears and to celebrate all the little milestones and build their own little private world of stories and keep sakes. He wanted Their Own Song. He was secretly a starry-eyed, impractical romantic dork at heart. She made him feel possessed by a green-eyed monster that anyone else had ever lavished her with affection. She had been with Duncan, had a real I Wuv You Beary Much kind of love with her that Logan craved to have with her too, he had had such a terrible start in life, physical and emotional abuse from his father, the loss of his mother, the only example of a relationship in his life had been when his grandfather, the only decent member of his family used to sit Logan down and talk to him of all the women he had courted before meeting his grandmother.

Logan could have sex with just about any girl, being the wealthy son of a movie star tended to garner a lot of interest… hell he could even charm women like Kendall Casablancas.. but he knew none of that stuff was real. It wasn't a relationship, Logan was an old soul, he wanted a connection, a love for the ages. He wanted the all trappings, he wanted something REAL. He was just about to write back when the doorbell sounded, curious he went to the front door, opening it he saw Kendall Casablanca's standing there, a devilish smile on her face, her dark curly hair snaked down her shoulders.

"There's my boy" she purred and pushed her way past him, she was wearing a very revealing wrap dress and began to undress as she entered. "I've decided you can make it up to me… I am sure your little scrape from yesterday is better by now" she declared, standing there waiting for him in the living room in her black silk underwear.

"Listen Kendall.." he began his eyes glancing over her olive skin and voluptuous curves, a body he had grown quite familiar with. "Now isn't a good time…" he told her.

"What? You are trying to blow me off? Again?!" she complained, her brown eyes flashing with irritation.

"Look.. it's different now… I don't think we should keep doing this anymore" Logan informed her as he held the door open and sort of gestured that she should leave.

"Well that's exactly why this works, I don't care if you think, we just DO.." she snapped.

"Not anymore, it was fun… but I'm not interested anymore" he said firmly.

"You seemed plenty interested last night" she told him, unhooking her bra and throwing it on the floor.

"Yeah.. well things have changed.." he dismissed again, he did his best not to look at her now. The differences between her and Veronica were blatantly obvious now, Kendall had large generous breasts, whereas Veronicas were perfect little offerings. Kendall had dominating man eating curves, whereas Veronica had petite hips, she was shy and eager. Kendall was aggressive and knew how to use her body as a weapon. He couldn't believe he had ever allowed himself to get involved with someone like this.. if Veronica knew she would be disgusted with him, he was disgusted with himself.

"This isn't over, until I say it is over Logan" she spat at him as she walked up to him and snaked her arm around his neck, pressing herself against him. "I came here to use you, you can go back to playing grab ass with cheerleaders after I've had my needs satisfied… or would you rather I told my husband about all our little afternoons together?" she threatened. Logan's gritted his teeth and set his jaw firm, he pulled her arm from around his shoulders and pushed her back from him.

"You might want to try that threat with someone who doesn't know all the conditions of your Pre-Nup" he retorted as he went over and picked up her discarded dress and threw it at her. "Now get the hell out of my house" he said as he turned to go into his pool area and slammed the door to his patio.

Kendall was seething as she stormed off back to her car, pulling out her flip phone she growled and smacked the steering wheel. The boy had gotten smart… how the hell else was she going to get access to the house now? Cormac Fitzpatrick her boyfriend currently locked up in Chino with Logan's father Aaron Echolls wasn't going to be too happy when he heard about this. The plan had been simple, seduce Logan and keep an eye on the Lilly Kane defence, Richard Casablanca's had been the perfect patsy and it had only taken her half of the summer before the ring had been on her finger and she had access to the Realtor in charge of the Kane estate where Lilly Kane had been murdered.

Now how was she going to help Cormac to get paid by Echolls for planting false evidence?

"Hello?" Liam Fitzpatrick said as he lifted the phone, she could barely hear him over the sound of the busy bar at the River Styxx.

"It's me" she sighed. "We are going to have to figure something else out… it's time to play the witness card for the Felix case"


	9. Chapter 9

Veronica Mars had spent most of the morning when she wasn't obsessing over the recent changes in her relationship status updating Cassidy Casablancas on their investigation into his beautiful 25 year old step mother whom he believed was a gold digger and was cheating on his father. The FBLA meeting room was rather quiet today and Mr Pope was doing his best to tutor Dick Casablanca's on how to spread the outgoings of his business investments around more than one company. Things were going to be very tense in a few days when both of her ex-boyfriend and new lover Logan Echolls and ex-boyfriend and former lover Duncan Kane's suspensions were lifted. Listening to Cassidy Casablanca's complaining about he how had found the condoms in the sofa cushions made Veronica feel glad that her father was with such a great woman. Alicia Fennel and her dad made a great couple, and she never had to worry about these kinds of problems at home anymore. Not since her alcoholic mother Lianne Mars had left them last year and ended her 19 year affair with Jake Kane along with it.

It had been a welcome distraction and she was glad to have the case, he had asked her to investigate the woman in the hopes of proving that she was in fact doing the dirty behind his back. He insisted however that they needed the money shot, and Veronica had swapped out the woman's ipod with a shiny replica which was programmed with a hidden camera to take pictures every 15 seconds. They would be reviewing the footage and putting together a timeline of her movements after class.

"Veronica?" Mr Pope called from the door way, she snapped her head in his direction. Deputy Sacks was standing in the hallway with Mr Clemmons, surely it was a bit early for a locker search? Mac had programmed the schools computers to send her an alert text message the day before her locker was due a "random" inspection. She hadn't received anything today except a photograph of a very staged looking scene made with coffee cups and sugar of it calling to its Juliet. She forgot sometimes that Logan had grown up around show business, it had made her laugh. He was missing her… Peanut Butter where for art thou? Love Jelly.

She told Cassidy to meet her during her shift at Java the Hut later and left with Mr Clemmons who reassured her that her father was ok but she was being excused for the afternoon because her presence was required down at the Sheriff's Office. Deputy Sacks shifted uncomfortably as he drove her to the Balboa County Sheriffs Department. Sheriff Lamb welcomed her as she entered the interrogation room in his usual disdainful way, he didn't much care for her, but that was ok, the feeling of bile and contempt was mutual. Even as a deputy, she had hated him.

"What can I do ya for Sheriff?" she quipped, sliding into her seat.

"Do you know why you are here?" Lamb questioned sarcastically.

"Usually, however, this time.. I'll admit it, the Sheriff Piñata has caught me by surprise… is it a pony?" she joked.

He rolled his eyes and slid a case folder over to her, she flicked over it briefly, one thing that the PI game had taught her was how to absorb a lot of relevant critical details in a very short time. David Moran, Biker found washed up dead on the beach, last seen outside the road hog two nights ago.

"Bowling buddy of yours?" she mocked.

"And there was me thinking you were supposed to be smarter than me…" Lamb taunted as he shifted the last few crime scene photos for her see, there it was in black angry ink. Her name written on the guys hand. The Dead guys hand… suddenly she looked at the man in the photo with renewed interest, he was a little battered, and a little bloated.. but she had seen him somewhere before. The bus crash site, he had been there… and her name was scribbled onto his hand.

Lamb stared at her in delight, the shock must have been showing on her face.

"You recognise him?" he demanded, his blue eyes glowering at her suspiciously over the table.

"I've seen him before… but I cant place him" she told him. Which was a lie, she knew exactly where she had seen him, lunch time, a few weeks ago at the site where 6 of her classmates, the school bus driver and her new journalism teacher had been killed when the school bus she had narrowly escaped being on because of a divine intervention of her fate, had went skidding over the side of a cliff.

"David Curly Moran." He informed her.

"I don't know him" she repeated, glowering right back at him this time, his tone implied he thought she knew him all kinds of ways, she shouldn't have been surprised, her reputation had really been dragged through the mud in the 18 months since Lilly Kanes murder.

"You missing any jewellery?" he questioned, showing her an evidence bag holding a piece of shiny silver metal.

"Its not mine" she told him.

"If I search your apartment, you sure I won't find the matching set?" he repeated.

Veronica glared at him and repeated herself again. He went on like this with her for about 20 minutes before he decided to shake her loose. Rattled, she was grateful when her father's work friend Inga offered to drive her over to her shift at Java the Hut, her car was still parked at school. She would have to keep this to herself for now, but she was shaken. A dead guy, who had been there at the site where she almost died turning up with her name written on his hand? It seemed he may have been following her? But why? She filed it away and started her shift, her father called into the coffee house about an hour later for a quick slice of pie and to catch her up about his trip. It was welcome company, but she still hadn't worked up the courage yet to mention anything about Logan, she was still too freaked out by the events earlier that day, she promised to have Cassidy drive her over to the Mars Investigations Office for some clerical work and take out after her shift was over while he was having dinner out with Alicia before she came home, but it was just an excuse to have the evening alone with Logan.

It was 6.40pm when Cassidy had arrived back with the ipod, she retrieved her own camera work and they cross-referenced the time lines with her schedule, it took a while, but so far the last three days of her life were fairly routine. Yoga class in the morning, lunch with bag guy, motel room. Next they started lining up the footage from the spy camera, Cassidy excused himself to go to the bathroom while she continued flicking through. Then she found them, photographs of Logan at the Casablanca's house… and then more photos later on of Kendall at Logan's house. She recognised the bedroom… her heart was thundering in her chest. She felt sick, instinctively she wiped the last 900 pictures, the ones after Logan had appeared, from what she knew about Richard Casablanca's, the guy had a fondness for handguns, last thing she wanted was to be responsible for Logan getting shot. As angry and conflicted as she was, she refused to let anyone else get answers before she did. She saved them onto her camera memory card quickly as Cassidy returned to the table, thankfully she had erased them just in time.

"Sorry Cassidy, the last half of the photos were corrupted.. no money shot this time. Don't worry, I've got my sights on her now, I'll figure out exactly what is going on here" she swore through gritted teeth.

She transferred the memory card chip into her phone and flicked through the pictures of Logan and Kendall, sure enough, they got fairly graphic. These were taken only two days ago… her eyes burned hot with tears. She was such an idiot.. How could she have trusted him? She knew what he was like.. and yet she gave him the benefit of the doubt every single time. How could she ever think she could have competed with the kind of women he was used to? She had been supposed to call over when her shift ended at 8pm.. she didn't know what she was going to do now.

Logan Echolls had busied himself most of the afternoon with setting up a mini candle lit dinner in his garden, which he had rearranged so that the table was sitting right at the edge where the view from his house on the hill overlooked the Neptune Harbour Bay, it was picturesque. It was a surprise. He knew she loved this view, she had snapped many photos of it during their summer together, and she had a printed copy of it on the wall in her bedroom. The thousand lights of Neptune's harbour pier lit up like something inviting. It had comforted him a little sometimes when he couldn't sleep to lay out on one of the sun loungers on a cool evening looking out at this scene knowing that she might have been lying back against her pillows and looking at the same image. He couldn't really cook, culinary skills were not his specialty, but he had ordered some burgers and set them on the heated silver dishes. He had a bottle of wine waiting as well, pacing the garden nervously.

She hadn't replied his text at the end of school but he knew she was working a shift at Java the Hut, this reminded him of that day on the boat and he did his best to shake the feeling. They were different now, after last night? How could she stay away?

Veronica wasn't sure what her motives were exactly for coming to the Echolls estate after the picture she had found. Cassidy had indeed drove her after work, he had driven her back to school to pick up her car, and she had used her keys to got to the journalism lab and print out a few of the photos she had found. She needed answers.

 _"I'll be in the pool house, can't wait to see you x L"_

The message had read when she had just been leaving work. 8.25pm and she was standing outside the main house, the door was propped open, music flowing through the kitchen and into the garden. Savage Garden, Truly Madly Deeply was playing, she searched through the foyer, no one was there, he was probably outside in the pool house, she was half way into the living room where they had started their love making the previous evening, when she spied something laying on the floor by the couch, a silky black bra lying on the floor. Fury erupted inside her; she knew which 32D bimbo owned this particular bra. There were images of it from the gym session that morning of Kendall Casablanca's putting it on after her yoga, and it certainly hadn't been there this morning because Veronica had had to search the living room for her underwear that morning before class.

She had been here today… been here long enough to take her bra off.. and god knows what else, but Veronica could pretty much tell from the pictures she still had stored in her phone. Placing the bra on the counter, she stifled a sob and placed the photos she had printed on the counter with the bra on top. He would get the message. She was so done, and she felt like such an idiot. After the revelations about the dead guy on the beach with her name written on his hand, the interrogation from Sheriff Lamb and now finding out the truth about Logan? She was exhausted.. she couldn't handle another confrontation tonight, this thing between them was till too fresh, the pain was too raw.

It didn't matter how many times it had been proven to be true through her PI work, the message she got was always the same. _Love was a liability._

 _"I love you Veronica"_ he had told her the previous night in this very room as he had touched her in a way she had never let anyone touch her before. _"I love you"_

 _Yep… she was just a lovable idiot then…_ she thought as she turned around and got back in her car and headed to the Mars Investigations Office after all. She wasn't ready to deal with her dad, or Logan or any of it right now, she just needed to be alone. She should have run when her instincts had told her to that morning _.. stupid stupid Veronica._


	10. Chapter 10

Logan Echolls sat on the chair in his garden, it was 8.47pm, she should have been here by now. He had called a few times but there was no answer, it went through to her voicemail _.. perhaps she was caught up in traffic?_ She had told him that her father was going to be calling by during her shift at Java the Hut and that her breaking the news to him of their reunion would go much easier if she handled breaking the news to Keith Mars alone. The ice in the wine bucket was turning to liquid so he decided it was time to replace it, he left the bottle of wine on the table and ventured into the main house towards the kitchen to get some more. It was then he saw the pictures sitting on the kitchen counter… _what the hell was this?_

His mind was racing, he turned the black bra over in his hands, this was Kendall's.. from earlier? The photographs were from a few days ago of the two of them in various states of coitus.. _how had she gotten these? How long had they been here?_ He felt sick.

He checked his phone for any kind of messages from Kendall and then his emails, there was nothing… was this some kind of sick game? He had rejected her and now she was blackmailing him?

 _Oh god… had Veronica come over already but found these?_

He called her number again.

 _"Hey, It's Veronica.. leave me a message"_

"Hi… it's me.. I don't know where you are.. but I need to talk to you about something… can you please call me back?" he said softly into the phone. "I **love** you" he sighed.

He needed to deal with these pictures… if she showed these to her husband.. he would break Logan in half, or worse! Suddenly all that reckless behaviour was coming back to haunt him.. it was so much easier to be fast and loose with your future when you didn't feel like you had anything to live for. He dialled Kendall's number.

"Hello?" she answered in her usual sultry tone.

"What the hell kind of game do you think you are playing?" he demanded as he paced the kitchen running his hands through his hair.

"Game? I don't know what you are talking about…" she scoffed, he could practically hear her eyes rolling over the telephone. "I was under the impression you weren't up for playing anymore?" _The vile harpy would pay for this._

"The pictures!" he snapped, he was furious. "I told you it was over"

"The pictures?" she asked sarcastically. "You usually love naughty pictures" Kendall teased, she honestly couldn't fathom which pictures he was talking about, but she wasn't about to reveal anything encase this was a trick. He was still a younger guy, a minor, and she had been fooling around with him. Last thing she wanted was to get caught on a recording admitting culpability of having sex with someone underage.

"This stops now… I'm done!" he warned and then hung up. His heart was pounding, he felt sick.. he fumbled through the photographs.. this was such a violation. He imagined it was something similar to how Lilly Kane must have felt the day she discovered she had been getting secretly videotaped by his father during their sexual encounters. His mind reeled with thoughts of these ending up in a tabloid newspaper.

 _Son of Movie Star Aaron Echolls Bares All…_

His adopted sister Trina would probably offer up some interviews about finding him "waxing his board" in his younger days just to add some spice to the story. _Oh god.. what if these were stills from a video?_ The way Dick and Cassidy talked about their former Laker Girl Step Mother was that she was mostly out to be a gold digger and make a name for herself. Even if the pre-nup left her with nothing.. she could sell this story and that video if it existed to the highest bidder.

 _Son of Murderous Movie Star gives Brunette a Killer Time…_

Where was Veronica? He was practically crawling out of his skin to talk to her, he needed to find out how far the damage went. He needed to find out what Kendall Casablanca's had on him, but he couldn't exactly ask Veronica or her Father to track it down, he pulled up his laptop and found the number for Vinnie Van Lowe. He had to get that tape or any other copies of this. He glanced at the clock, it was now 9pm, and he doubted that if she had found these pictures that Veronica would be coming after all. The business line for Van Lowe Associates showed that his office hours finished at 8.30pm. He would have to call and hire the private investigator in the morning.

 _What was he going to do? How could he have been such an idiot?_

He took the pictures to his father's office and pulled up the paper shredder and started forcing the pictures through the machine. He was wiping away tears; this mistake could very well have cost him everything.

"Mr Echolls?" a voice called from the hallway. Logan forced the last few pictures into the shredder and threw the black bra into the trash can in the office before walking into the living room to see Deputy Ryan's and Deputy Briar standing in his garden waiting on him expectantly.

"Gentlemen… as you can see I set the mood for you this evening" Logan declared dramatically as he walked into the garden which was set up with candles and a romantic dinner for two.

"Logan Echolls, you are under arrest for the murder of Felix Toomes" Deputy Ryan's informed him as he pulled out the cuffs from his belt. _No.. No.. No.. this can't be happening to me again…._

"What no foreplay?" he said sarcastically as Ryan's marched up behind him and clicked the cuffs tightly around his wrists.


	11. Chapter 11

Veronica Mars sat staring at the office case schedule, her phone chirped again.. he had left a voicemail this time. The option for dial 901 for voicemail taunted her from the small screen of her smartphone; her thumb toyed over the button.

"Hi.. its me" Logan's voice announced when she had finally given in to the need to hear his voice. "I don't know where you are…" he sounded lost, and tone was so melancholy that it coiled around her heart and squeezed. "I need to talk to you about something… can you _please_ call me back?" he pleaded. He hadn't confessed or made any excuses about anything.. he had just told her he needed to speak to her.

 _"Please call me back..?"_

If he had ended the call there she may have had the strength to just hang up and avoid the conversation until she saw him back at school in a few days… but he hadn't.

"I **Love** you" he whispered before the recording ended.

What was she _doing_? Surely this was just falling back into old habits? Had she not made this same mistake 7 months ago when she had failed to talk to him about the day she had discovered he had been the one with GHB the night of Shelly Pomeroys party? Was this not the same behaviour that led to him being alone on that bridge? Oh God what **_was_** she doing?

"I love you Veronica…" he had whispered with his lips pressed against her neck. His liquid chocolate eyes had been so sincere… surely that couldn't be faked? She sat there like that for several minutes, replaying the message again.

 _"What do you want Veronica?"_ he had whispered before she had removed his towel last night.

She knew what she wanted… the question was… after she gathered all the ugly facts and had them all settled around in front of her flashing along the computer screen like the photos she was looking at of him and Kendall Casablanca's.. did she still want it badly enough to fight for it?

After everything they had been through together… he deserved to have the opportunity for her to hear him out.

9.13pm.

Resolute that she owed him the chance to offer her an explanation she closed her computer and headed to her car.


	12. Chapter 12

Veronica paced outside the main door to the Echolls family estate trying to work up the nerve to go inside. The doors to the Echolls family house were mirrored, mostly to afford the family a little privacy from all the paparazzi snaps by ruining the light exposure, something that would have driven Veronica crazy had she been on a stake-out trying to get snaps for a case, but at this particular moment, all it did was show her a girl who had just lied to her dad about staying in Mac's house for a sleep over so she could go and confront the man who she was in love with about the racy snaps she had taken of him with a Greek Goddess and legs that went on for miles.

 _Get your game face on Mars…_ she told herself, adjusting her lip gloss.

She opened the door and went inside, the house as quiet, music still carried on from the ipod dock in the garden, she walked past the kitchen and noticed the photos were gone, an ice bucket was the only thing sitting on the counter. She ventured from the main house out into the garden, taken by surprise to see a small army of half melted church candles leading up to the decking beyond the pool, a dying garden fire pit was set up beside a dinner table set for two… _What was all this?_

"Logan?" she called as she went to the edge of the garden, overlooking the view of Neptune, this was her favourite spot in the entire house, probably in Neptune if she was honest about it. Something about the way the harbour was circled around the hillside and the way the light caught the moon made it look like the heavens were smiling.

There was still no sign of him, she picked up the silver lid on one of the dinner settings. It was a burger and fries but food was cold now. The bottle of wine sat abandoned on the edge of the table and the candles on the centre piece were dying. This had been set up for a while… had he been waiting like this for her when she had come here the first time? Guilt settled itself into an uncomfortable ball in the pit of her stomach. He wasn't in the guest house, or his bedroom.

 _"Yeah, well you do have this habit of dodging me sometimes…"_ he had teased her that morning while they were laying cuddled up in his bed together. Like that time in the guest house during the night of the surprise party when she had found the hidden camera's Aaron Echolls had installed, but she had immediately thought the worst of Logan and bolted? She had avoided him for days with zero explanation. Was this something she had inherited from her mother? Things get tough so she just ran away? At least she wasn't reaching for the liquor cabinet she guessed. She dialled his cell phone, but only got through to his inspirational message of the day.

 _"Hi this is Logan, and this is today's inspirational message:_

 _"There's nothing as exciting as a comeback - seeing someone with dreams, watching them fail, and then getting a second chance. - Rachel Griffiths"_

There were no other lights on in the house except upstairs, she went inside and found the door to Aaron Echolls home studio office propped open. There were photographs were lying shredded in the bottom of the glass shredder basket, and Kendall's bra was laying in the trash. So he knew she had been here…

His loud yellow car was still in the driveway, but he was nowhere around.

"Where are you Logan?" she whispered.

Logan stood in the Line Up at the Sheriff's Department and stepped forward when the mystery voice behind the mirror called his number. He was being blackmailed, Veronica had ditched him… again, and now he was being arrested for a murder he didn't commit.. again.

"There are no secrets that time does not reveal" he smiled as he tapped on the glass before being hauled off to the interrogation office by Deputy Briar.

"I don't care how many times you ask Lamb… I am not interested! Now get your minions to get the clamp off of my car!" Daisy Blossom complained, her black hair was tied up in a choppy bun and her green eyes flashed angrily at him.

"It's a valid reason Daisy… you were badly parked.." he crooned, giving her that sleazy smile again. All pearly whites like an idiot shark. Ugh!

"Badly parked… in my parking spot… of my driveway?" she snapped. The asshole had been doing these little things for weeks. Honestly, you get drunk at your exes engagement party and wake up next to a complete rent-a-cop jerk. _Coyote Ugly am I right?_

"What can I say? You just Daisy Chained your way into my heart" he smiled. _God the cheese…_

Apparently their little night together had rocked the Balboa County Sheriffs world because he hadn't stopped calling, showing up at her place of work or getting his lackeys to do little things to make her have to come down to the Sheriff's office to get sorted out in person, and she had thought that night with Vinnie Van Lowe had been a bad move. She really had to stop doing body shots and tequila when she went to the Neptune Rusty Knot, the local strip club she pulled pints at sometimes over near 43rd and Ukley.

"What are you staring at _Chasing Maverick_?" she snapped as saw the Deputy Briar taking a young guy into the interrogation room. "Shouldn't you be doing something other than trying to get back in my pants?" she snapped at Lamb before storming off out of his office with the ticket.

"We can settle this other ways?" he offered, disappointed.

"Yeah, I'm thinking, Anchor and the end of the Pier!" she growled and continued walking. Lamb couldn't help but watch the gothic siren storm off out of the station. Sexy Sea Witch…

"Ah.. Mr Echolls… Let's have a chat now shall we?" Lamb grinned as he closed the door behind them.

*** There will be a few wee of my own Original Characters making little Easter Egg appearances in my various stories for your amusement. Daisy is one of these that I like to pop in from time to time.


	13. Chapter 13

Logan still hadn't replied to her text messages, or her voicemail so she decided it was time to do something productive to stop herself from going crazy. Perhaps he was off someplace with Dick Casablanca's blowing off some steam? She hoped so… she drove over the Coronado Bridge on her way back to town just to be sure. David Curly Moran… dead guy found washed up on the beach.. last seen by the Road Hog, a biker bar over on the upper east side of Neptune where the water met the edge of Neptune, only it wasn't as residentially affluent as the other side of Neptune, it didn't catch the view of the sunshine coming over into the bay in quite the same way, so it had been left mostly underdeveloped and inhabited by some of the more unsavoury Element in Neptune. It was a popular bikers stop near the Mermaid Inn Motel and Poseidon's Nose, a local casino notorious for illicit card games and back alley deals. The Who's Who of the biggest and the baddest tended to frequent this area. Which was exactly why she should probably have been avoiding it too… someone had to know this Curly guy, and maybe one of them had a clue as to why her name was written on his hand.

She used her fake ID to get past the surly Hispanic guy at the door, yep, she stood out like a sore thumb in here, she thought as she looked around the pool tables and looked at the guys with the leather jackets and tattoos eyeing her up like she was a fresh piece of meat. Girls like her went missing from places like this all the time.. wrong side of the tracks Mars, she scolded herself. This was a bad idea. A portly woman in her 50s wearing a flannel shirt and who smelled of cigarettes and furniture polish brush past her carrying a tray of glasses. She tutted and stared at Veronica disapprovingly.

"What is a cub like you doing in here?" Mage said, raising an eye brow.

"Hi, my names Kara, I'm looking for my mother?" Veronica told her, doing her best impression of a lost little girl.

"She run off?" Mage asked, as she walked in behind the bar and shooed away the other younger male bar tender who was very interested in looking Veronica up and down.

"Yeah… she left my dad" Veronica told her… which was true, her mother had run out on them, about 10 months ago and she hadn't been seen since, truthfully, Veronica had no desire to find the woman, but it was the kind of story that melted hearts in woman like the lady behind the bar. Women who wished that life had given them a kind stranger to nudge them in the right direction when it might have made a difference in where they ended up.

"And you think she ended up here?" Mage queried, looking at Veronica pityingly.

"She likes to drink… she took off with this guy… and I thought you might be able to tell me something about him?" Veronica said, as she flicked onto the picture she had taken of David Curly Moran while Lamb hadn't been looking. She showed it to Mage, who frowned.

"That's Curly… he's one of my regulars.. least he was" she told Veronica.

"Do you think they might have left together? Is there anyone he knew here who you think could help me?" Veronica pleaded… "I need to find my mom, my dad isn't doing so good these days…"

"That might be hard… you better pray she didn't end up where he did.. maybe you are just best taking yourself off home and looking after your dad?" Mage advised, handing back the phone. Seems she wasn't going to tell the bleeding heart teenager her mother might have ended up over the edge of the cliff behind the bar.

"You are probably right" Veronica told her, brushing away crocodile tears. "Can I use your rest room?"

"Second door on the right" the woman replied, handing over a large metal rod with a key on it.

"Thanks" Veronica said sweetly.

Damn.. she wasn't going to get anywhere at this rate, she was just about ready to leave when Mage waved her over to the bar again. There was a petite raven haired girl sitting by the bar eating the cherries out of a rum cocktail.

"Kara.. sweetie, this is Daisy. She works the weekend shifts here, you got a picture of your mother you want to show her?" Mage suggested, as the goth girl rolled her eyes and gave Veronica a once over. _What was she a babysitter?_

"Uh.. yeah.." Veronica flipped through her phone and showed them a picture of her a blond woman who could very well have been Veronica's mother, except she wasn't. Veronica had barbequed all her mother's photos on the charcoal stove outside in her apartment complex a few nights after it was discovered Lianne Mars had run off with the £50 grand that Kane Industries had paid her dad for tracking down Duncan Kane. But they didn't need to know that.

"I haven't ever seen her with Curly.. he didn't really date, if she wasn't a fine European Automobile, he wouldn't have been interested." Daisy replied exiting the picture and flicking sideways along the pictures, suddenly the screen was filled with images of Logan and Kendall naked. She blinked in surprise. "Ok blondie?" she said looking at her with renewed interest, handing Veronica back the phone. "I don't usually give a rat's ass about getting involved with shit that isn't my business, but I am going to give you some solid advice here, if your mother was messed up with any of those people, she's a lost cause and you should steer clear. Move on" she warned firmly her green eyes glared at Veronica fiercely. "Priscilla Banks is **bad** news.."

"Priscilla?" Mage repeated.

"Different hair, but definitely her… she worked at the Rusty Knot a few months last summer" Daisy frowned, sipping her drink. _Skank._

"Sorry… whose Priscilla banks?" Veronica asked shyly. Had she really screwed up with that blond woman's picture.

"She's not your mother… just some skank bitch, look, I don't know what her stage name is these days, but that Fitzpatrick loving tramp is bad news" Daisy repeated, pointing at the picture of Kendall in the photograph. "Now get out of here, this place isn't a day care!" she scolded as Veronica put the phone back into her pocket. She nodded and wandered off towards her car… now she had even more questions. _Who was Priscilla Banks?_


	14. Chapter 14

"You sure you don't have anything else to add to this statement?" Sheriff Lamb asked, as he flashed the piece of paper from the case file that sat in front of Logan of the Felix Toomes murder investigation.

"I've already told you everything, any other questions you can refer to my lawyer" Logan dismissed as he fiddled with the cuffs digging into his wrists. Sheriff Lamb had been grilling him for the last two hours about this mysterious eye witness who had come forward to say that he had threatened him into silence for what had happened that night on the bridge.

"Daddy's money won't save you all the time" Lamb sneered.

"Then just find me the first sober public defender you've got and put the bail on my black Amex" Logan snapped.

He hadn't called anyone yet, as an emancipated minor, there wasn't really anyone left at home who cared what happened to him anyway, he was practically an orphan, Logan thought bitterly. His mother Lynn Echolls had thrown herself off a bridge after the truth of his father's infidelity had become a national spectacle, and his only surviving parent, was in jail, awaiting trial for the murder of Logan's girlfriend, Lilly Kane. _Like Father Like Son…_ in the court of public opinion anyway. He really wanted to call Veronica… to explain things... but if he didn't make bail this time, then that one call was all he had. He needed to contact Vinnie Van Lowe in the morning and have those tapes of Kendall's investigated; found and destroyed, but right now he was anxious about not having his phone. If she had tried to contact him, he wouldn't know. Being separated from her hurt like a missing limb.

"You should go see the Wizard.. ask him for some balls… because where you are going, you better hope yours are as big as you like to think they are" Sheriff Lamb taunted as he packed up the file again and stormed off out of the room. Logan sighed and felt the tension he had been holding release a little. Man, he really hated being arrested. The trial over the previous summer had taken 6 weeks and 3 high powered lawyers and he had prayed this was all over… _was she even going to try and talk to him about those pictures? Had she even seen them?_

He could almost have laughed at the absurdity of it all, now because of this new piece of eye witness testimony, Logan was looking at 25 years to Life… and all he cared about was Veronica getting in touch to yell at him about those pictures at his house? This deafening silence was worse. He just wanted to explain that Kendall meant absolutely nothing to him. That it was from before last night, before they had given into their desires. It didn't feel right to be apart from her for so long… _Why was this stuff happening to him now? She had just come back to him…_

Everything in his soul told him that Veronica was his fate, she was where his heart lived outside of his body but it seemed like the Universe kept putting obstacles in their path. He couldn't remember much about that night on the bridge, somewhere between having his ribs broken and being knocked unconscious, someone had stabbed and killed Felix Toomes, and left Logan with the bloody knife in his hands. Now there was a witness who was putting the blame onto him… he felt so hopeless.

He wanted to rewind time, be curled back up in his bed with her nestled against him. The day had started off so well, one of the best in his life. He wondered how long it would take her to find out where he was? Logan hated being in this situation, the town had turned on him, most of the other kids at school avoided him now as if his blood were somehow made of liquid evil. Like after the stabbing of Felix Toomes, Logan was tainted, evil incarnate like his father's. He shuddered at his own comparison, Logan was nothing like that monster. The man who still haunted his nightmares, the reason why he still hadn't managed to shake the feeling like he needed to be evasive in his own house in a permanent state of hypervigilance, he needed to look around every corner for the next fist or beating. His abusive childhood was the reason that Logan first lashed out with aggression, the reason he struggled to communicate his feelings, why he clung on so fiercely to the good things in his life almost to the point of suffocating them. Like he had with Lilly… like why he hadn't been able to stop harassing Veronica after their break up over the summer, part of a desperate need to have her attention, to be noticed even if he had thought she didn't want him.

Aaron Echolls abuse and need for control was the reason why Logan had such a defiant attitude problem with authority figures. It had only been in these last few months of the only real peace that Logan had ever known now that his father was behind bars, that he had been able to start mentally unpacking the box of the entire trauma his relationship with his father had created. He was able to see through Veronica's relationship with her father, all the ways that his own was broken. That he was broken. His dad had murdered his girlfriend, drove his mother to suicide and tried to kill Veronica, the only good things in his life weren't even safe from shadow his father cast. He hadn't been able to lift a finger to protect them; he had failed each and every one of them.

The arrest of his father had brought some much needed distance but it hadn't stopped the psychological torment, even from behind prison Aaron Echolls had been taunting him. Logan had woken up the morning after the emancipation paperwork had finally come through to find a fruit basket had been delivered, it had contained nothing but pears and a handwritten note. _Don't forget to eat well, Son_.

Logan had cried and sat in his kitchen shaken for several hours and thrown up twice, recalling the Christmas when he was 9 and the man had shoved a fruit basket of pears down his throat, a memory his father knew still haunted him. He had never told anyone these things, not even Veronica, although she had gently tried to ask him once during their time dating. He hadn't wanted to invite that part of his life into their relationship; he didn't want her to see him that way. He had an innate ability to block certain parts of his life out, so the pieces didn't touch. He didn't want to infect the rest of his life with that darkness, didn't want that pain to be in every part of his world. When he was with Veronica, he could be the man that he wanted to be, he could try to be the man she thought he was capable of being. She didn't look at him like he was anything like his father. She saw Him.

Logan was still lost in his thoughts when Sheriff Lamb returned with his publicly appointed lawyer, Cliff McCormack.

"What are you trying to pull?" Cliff McCormack complained. "This doesn't make you look innocent you know, it makes you look like an arrogant jackass… I'm not into trying murky murder cases, you should be using that phone call to get yourself a real lawyer" he scolded as he began to flick through the case work.

"I am innocent" Logan replied, still rubbing his wrists where the cuffs chaffed.

"Until proven guilty by a jury of your peers" Cliff retorted wearily. "Lamb is insisting on refusing bail, I will have to reach out to some Judge contacts of mine to see if I can get you a hearing date arranged. You could be allowed home if under house arrest barring the set hours you would need to get to school and for some personal time for grocery shopping" he elaborated in a dry tired voice.

"Ankle bling huh?" Logan smirked. This just kept getting better and better… clearly his legal defence didn't sound any more optimistic about his chances than he felt himself. He had told the police he hadn't remembered the guy on the bridge who had stopped to help him that night, he had thought he was clear when the witness hadn't shown up. He hadn't wanted to find him because he couldn't be sure what he would say, he would be in the clear as long as they never found him. Now here 5 months later, the mystery caller had decided to come back and ruin his life.

"The ankle monitor sends a radio frequency signal containing location and other information to a receiver but the alternative would be you spend your time in here, awaiting trial" Cliff explained before handing Logan a document to sign to act on his behalf.

Sheriff Lamb came back and scoffed at the petition for bail, but couldn't hold him much longer without his lawyer being present for questioning. Thankfully Cliff McCormack had needed to go and make some calls, so Logan got to have the cuffs removed finally and step out of the stuffy interrogation room. He was thankful for the cool air during the walk to the holding cells.

"Even if you do get out of here, this is where an animal like you belongs…" The Sheriff told him venomously. "Must be something special if you are holding out on that phone call" he sneered.

"Yeah.. well when do I get my conjugal visit?" Logan retorted as he stepped backwards and the bars to the holding closed.

"Well… incest really isn't my thing, but you 09ers are a breed onto yourselves, a whole different class than the rest of us" Lamb mocked as he pointed. "You should ask your new bunk mate" Lamb continued and Logan felt a sick ball of dread knot in his stomach as he saw the gleam in the Sheriffs eye.

No. No. No. Logan turned slowly and had to fight the urge to run to the bars and shake them, to plead for help. Sure enough, it was dear old dad.

"Hello Son" his father said finally.


	15. Chapter 15

Veronica checked her phone again as she sat at her desk in the Mars Investigation's Office trying to calm the information overload and theory high. Not hearing from Logan was really starting to freak her out after the information she had discovered about Kendall Casablanca's aka Priscilla Banks. Formerly of Hamlee High School. Multiple arrests for Solicitation, drug possession and burglary, she even did a 6 month stint up in San Quinent for wire fraud. A known associate of Liam and Cormac Fitzpatrick, of the fighting Fitzpatrick's, Neptune's own personal Irish Mafia.

Cormac Fitzpatrick… currently serving time in Chino, known to be an internal racketeer for some of the more affluent 09ers and celebrity guests who couldn't quite buy themselves a jury just yet. Currently associated with Aaron Echolls. Hollywood Action Star, A Lister, Adulterer and Murderer of one Lilly Kane, daughter of his former best friend and Billionaire Tech Mogul Jake Kane. Kendall Casablanca's now had all of Veronica's attention. The woman had went from spandex to cashmere remarkably fast, she wouldn't be underestimating her, what was someone like her with a multimillionaire real estate tycoon husband, doing going after someone like Logan?

 _Aside from the obvious…_ she thought as she skimmed through the photographs again. It still made her sick to think of Logan's strong hands ever touching another woman… of him using that talented body with anyone else ever again… Sure that was jealousy, and heavens knows, Veronica was Vengeful by nature, so Jealousy was a natural extension, but something about this didn't sit right with her. Yes Logan being so fuzzy on the commandments should probably have bothered her… but it was more than jealousy… something in her Gut told her there was more to this story.

Kendall Casablancas formerly known as Kendall Shifflette before her marriage to Richard Casablanca's, was the name she had stolen from a girl whom had died when they were 15, a girl whom Priscilla Banks, who was the driver of the vehicle at the time had been responsible for killing. She had literally stepped into her dead friends shoes. _Had she been sent here to target Logan for his dad? Logan hadn't been on the bus that day.. because according to Beaver's timeline of dodgy things Kendall… she had been with her lover… which just so happens to be My Logan,_ she thought angrily.

Veronica searched further into Kendall's financials and discovered a possible cause for her having a motive for the bus crash.. she stood to make millions in life insurance sending that bus over that cliff with her step children on it… although they had been in the limo travelling behind the bus at the time. Something nagged at her… there was a bigger connection here but she just couldn't see it right now. The coincidence about Aaron Echolls and her prison lover Irish Mafia boss Cormac Fitzpatrick both having a connection to the fake Ms Kendall Casablanca's was just too much. _Had Kendall been sent to keep Logan occupied so he wouldn't have been on the bus that day? Did that mean that both Cassidy and Dick were still in danger? Was Duncan?_

If Logan was meant to be seduced to be kept off that bus… did that mean they knew that she and Duncan were supposed to be on it? The only 2 material witnesses to the tapes in the Lilly Kane Murder investigation? Her synapses were firing questions at her faster than she could process.

David Curly Moran… he had had Veronica's name written in sharpie all over his hand. _Where did he fit into all this?_

On a whim, Veronica pulled up the search bar on her computer.

David Moran + Aaron Echolls + Fitzpatrick + Casablancas.

At first it didn't pop up anything other than a bunch of movie reviews and rotten tomato scores, it wasn't until Veronica flicked through the google images at the top of the screen that she noticed the picture of The Long Haul, starring Aaron Echolls. A poster of a truck veering over a bridge popped up, but the writing was blurred and she couldn't make out the details very well. Logan would be able to help her with this part, the Echolls Family Estate was littered down almost every hallway with movie posters from Aaron Echolls pictures. Veronica hadn't been sure how Logan could have tolerated them after the revelation about who had been Lilly's Killer, but now she was glad they were still there.

8 of her classmates had died during that bus crash, and here there was a connection to Aaron Echolls and crashing vehicles, but she couldn't quite tell where anyone else fit in, apart from the Casablanca's firm was the one handling the sale of the Kane Estate and site where Lilly Kane had been murdered. The Fitzpatricks were known for Protection Works in prison when they were inside, making people have to sign over a life debt to the family, a percentage of what they made would got to the Irish Mafia until the "debt" was considered repaid. They strong armed witnesses into recanting statements. Burned out cars of prosecutors of people for wealthy defendants who paid enough money for them to do their dirty work. They did everything in their power to get their "Clients" free, because their little jail bird cash cows were worth more outside prison earning than they were rotting in prison.

Everything in her told her that Aaron Echolls was wrapped up in this somehow… the man in her nightmares, the one who had almost burned her alive. Even through a computer screen, his eyes bore into Veronicas… he was evil personified, and she would be damned if he thought he could plot his way out of that prison cell and anywhere near Logan ever again. Fury bubbled up inside her and she closed the laptop screen.

She had to talk to Logan but he still wasn't answering his phone… there was bound to be a catalogue someplace at the Echolls House, a Christmas list of people who had worked on the movie sets with Aaron during these things. He was bound to have kept a record, some agent someplace would have made sure it was on a computer someplace so they could sent out an anniversary gift for each of the movies, Mr "Hollywood Loves Me" Echolls was known for never forgetting the "little guys". It made the tabloids lap it up, Mr Echolls was such a great guy… he couldn't have bashed a 16 year old girls head in with an ashtray. Except he had, and then he had tried to kill Veronica as well.

 _"Veroniiiiccccaaaaa….. Where are the tapes?"_ Aaron Echolls voice whispered to her and she shuddered. She should talk to Deputy Leo D'amato about how good the security the evidence lock up at the Sheriffs Department was these days. Those tapes…. Something told her they needed to be secured, or backed up or something…

She would talk to Beaver tomorrow, warn him about his step-mother, get him the information she had found.

There had to be some way to find out if Curly was involved with the Fitzpatricks or Aaron Echolls.

 _Please text me back Logan… even if you did do something insanely stupid, you have no idea the snake pit you just found yourself in this time._


	16. Chapter 16

"What are you doing here?" Logan croaked as he began to pace the cell, never taking his eyes off his father. There were no places to hide i cell.

"What am I doing here? What are _you_ doing here son?" Aaron Echolls retorted.

"Isn't this where they put accused murderers?" he said wearily, _this couldn't be happening…_ "why are **you** here?" he repeated. Logan had to fight to resist the urge to try and claw the walls for a way out. If his father was here…. Where was Veronica? Logan needed to see her now more than ever.

"I guess our Sheriff has a soft spot for family… seems this is what it takes to get a visit out of you huh?" Aaron answered as he approached Logan slowly.

"Yeah… I just needed a little bit of time… you know to process how you tried to murder my girlfriend after you bashed the other ones head in…?" Logan accused him, doing his best to stay five feet away from his father at all time. Logan had filled out a lot this summer, his shoulders were broader and he had been working out a lot more but there are monsters that even time and growth can't help you shake the fear of. They shared the same DNA but something in Aaron Echolls coding had gone seriously wrong, he had come out twisted and angry. There was no light in this man in front of him, his soul was an abyss and it pulled everything good and pure into its wake and destroyed it.

"Logan… I did make some mistakes… but I never killed Lilly Kane" Aaron declared firmly, giving his best Oscar worthy performance yet, the words were lies of course. Logan had been to the hospital with Veronica to visit Keith Mars as he recovered from that night of the fire; he had seen the scars on the man's arms he had gotten when he had pulled his daughter from the flames. He hadn't seen the tapes personally, but it had been bad enough to bring the force of the Neptune Sheriff's department down on one of the most influential figures in their community. Duncan had seen those tapes, Logan had heard Veronica screaming for help in her sleep sometimes in the weeks after his father's arrest when she had fallen asleep against his chest while they were watching movies at his house. Part of the problem of your bogey man being an A List Movie Star, is he would show up on commercials, in films and magazines every place you went. Logan had done his best to avoid seeing him… but there was no escape here.

"Oh… so you just screwed my girlfriend and taped it for your home collection?" Logan spat at him.

"I don't expect forgiveness Logan… but you have no idea what really happened that day… if you would just let me explain…" Aaron implored him, those dark brown eyes stalked Logan around the room as he continued to move away from him, he sounded so reasonable... so sure of his own truth. He genuinely believed the lies he was telling Logan.

"So what… you tried to kill Veronica to maintain your innocence?" Logan demanded. He felt sick… his father was trying to manipulate him, trying to twist the truth the way he always did. It was never abuse… something Logan had done was always the reason for the beatings… he had always brought it on himself… _What had he ever done that was so wrong to deserve to be trapped in here with this monster?_

"I-I just snapped…. I lost it… I tried to calm her down… I tried to talk to her… but she ran from me and I just…" Aaron explained, his tone was smooth, the words poured from him like whiskey. He shook his head when he realised that Logan wasn't buying into his lies. "You don't have to believe me… but you will see… I have faith that the real killer will be caught Logan…" he promised, putting his hand on Logan's shoulder and squeezing down hard. "You will see" he assured him.

Logan shrugged him off and moved to the other side of the cell away from him.

"Let me help you Logan…. I'll make some calls.. I'll get you a team of lawyers… the best… we have to stick together son" Aaron told him.

"I am **not** your son…." Logan told him coldly. "You lost the right to help me when you ruined my life…" his voice was breaking now. He was losing control. Images of Lilly's crime scene video were replaying on a loop now in his head… he heard the sound of Veronica's sleeping voice begging for help. He didn't belong in this place he was nothing like this evil bastard who poured out lies like it was honey.

"You will always be my Son, Logan. We are blood…" Aaron corrected. They may have been blood, but Logan was absolutely nothing like his father. He could never have done something like this. The fact that people thought it of him scarred more deeply than he would ever admit to himself. He hadn't been responsible for killing Felix Toomes, but he was being punished for it anyway.

"Kid, you ready to Shawshank your way out of here?" Cliff McCormack asked as he stood at the doors of the cell, holding the paperwork.

"I can go?" Logan repeated in shock.

"Within the city limits yes… you will be fitted with an ankle monitor and you have to surrender your passport and driver's license" Cliff explained.

"Done" Logan agreed, stepping away from his dad and waiting by the door eagerly.

"I still advise you to get yourself a real lawyer" Cliff McCormack told him, regarding the two men carefully. There weren't many people around who didn't know the history of the Echolls family saga, but the adoring public didn't know about Logan's nightmares.

"I don't know… you are doing pretty good so far" he thanked. Logan couldn't climb out of the cell quick enough; he barely even stopped to look over his shoulder as he followed Cliff to the interrogation room to have his monitor fitted.

"I'll be home soon Son" Aaron called after him.

Logan felt his heart racing as he lifted his belongings from the tray and grabbed for his phone… 3 missed calls and 2 texts from Veronica. He braced himself for the worst… closing his eyes he dialled his voicemail and heard her voice.

"Hey baby.. I really have to talk to you… it's important! Please call me back" she sounded panicked. _Did she know where he was being taken?_

"Logan… this is really _really_ important… please call me" she asked again in the second voicemail, _what could have been so urgent?_

He flicked his phone menu to read her messages.

 _"I'm at your place.. where are you? V"_

 _"I'm heading to my dad's office… can you stop by?"_

He almost crumpled to the floor in relief, she was ok… and she wanted to talk to him. He needed to see her. To touch her, to check she was ok, the panic in his chest wouldn't settle until he was holding her.

"Hello?" a soft female voice answered.

"Veronica?" he sobbed, the sound of her voice warmed him.

"Logan! Where have you been?" she gasped, she sounded worried.

"I'll tell you when you get here… I'm at our lovely Sheriff's Department… can you come get me?" he begged. They had taken his driver's license and he was now fitted with a mobile tracker, part of the conditions of his release was the surrender of all modes of transport which may aid an escape attempt.

"I'll be right there…" she promised.


	17. Chapter 17

Logan sat in the wooden chair of the waiting area in the Neptune Sheriff's Department waiting for Veronica Mars to pick him up. He wasn't even sure what her title was at this moment that was part of a much larger conversation he would be having with her when she arrived to take him home. Girlfriend… lover? Ex-Lover once she found out the truth about Kendall? He was still shaken from his little visit in the cells with dear old dad. Cliff McCormack had given him the paperwork and a business card and arranged for a time to call over and see him tomorrow at his house. He would be required to call in for a scheduled check in at the Sheriff's department once a week to have his monitor information downloaded and adjusted as needed. He couldn't stop rubbing his thumb into his hands, he still wanted to claw his way out of his own skin. He hated this feeling of anxiety, the panic that made his mouth dry and made him feel like his heart was in his throat.

Sheriff Lamb was such a bastard… he had arranged for his father to be sent up from County just so he would have the opportunity to put Logan in the same cell as him. He really hated him.

"Logan?" Veronica called as she came running into the hallway of the station; her blond hair was falling around her shoulders, her blue eyes searching the room for him. He watched as she sighed in relief when their eyes connected, he gave her a weak smile and stood up to greet her.

"Hey…" he said quietly as she threw her arms around him and held him tightly. _What a sight for sore eyes…_

"Oh God.. How long have you been here.. Why didn't you call me?" she asked as she pulled back and reached up to touch his face. His heart ached, she had been worried about him, the concern she felt was wrapping itself around him _… would she still be as tender with him when she found out about those pictures?_

"My dad is here…" he told her shakily. "Lamb made me share a cell with him."

Veronica's eyes softened in understanding, she wrapped her arms tighter around his waist and nodded quietly, reaching up on her tip toes to kiss him gently.

"Let's get you home" she whispered as she took him by the hand and led him to the car.

Logan and Veronica barely said a word while they drove from the Sheriff's Department to the Echolls family estate in the 90909 area code of Neptune. It was 1.37am but the Wendy's drive thru was still open so Veronica stopped to pick up some coffee and some food for them after she heard Logan's stomach growl for the third time, it had been a long night. She wasn't sure this was the time to bring up all that information she had uncovered about Kendall Casablanca's and the Fitzpatrick's and Logan's Father. The recent exposure to Aaron Echolls was still too raw and she could tell he needed a little time to settle first. They would talk it out tomorrow morning; right now she just wanted to take care of him.

"Did you get the name of the witness?" she asked quietly as she handed him his coffee.

"Not yet" he replied softly, taking the paper cup from her hand. "I have to see my lawyer tomorrow.. But I'm not sure if they will tell me anything" he had barely looked in her direction.

Veronica took the cup from his hand, placing it in the holder between them and leaned over and kissed him, running her fingers through his hair. The anger she had felt earlier after finding him in those photos with Kendall had subsided as her investigation had gone on into a deeper conspiracy, that was a conversation she would have with him later, right now, she just wanted to get him someplace where he could breathe.

"We are going to get through this" she promised before turning the engine on again to drive them to his house. Logan laced his fingers with hers and tried to memorize the feel of her this way… he still hadn't worked up the nerve to ask her where she had been earlier… if she had seen anything at his house. He didn't want to ask… he didn't want her to stop loving him this way. It all felt so inevitable, buried secrets had a habit of surfacing when she was around, and if Kendall was blackmailing him, it was only a matter of time before she found out. He stepped out of the car into the driveway of his house and followed behind her as they went inside, the music had finished and the candles in the garden had all burned out, there was scent of melted vanilla wax coming into the kitchen. The moon reflected in the pool and he stepped into the garden to survey the mess left behind, he breathed deeply and felt heartbroken that he hadn't been able to surprise her with the evening he had intended.

 _Nothing in his life was ever simple…_ he couldn't even plan a romantic dinner with the girl he loved without the universe dragging him away into his darkest nightmares. She came into the garden behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind.

"I'm sorry" she whispered as she curled herself around him.

"It wasn't your fault" he replied softly. "It's just the story of my life" he told her brokenly.

"It shouldn't be…" she told him as she turned him to face her, he was weeping a little.

"I just… everything feels like it's falling apart…" he confessed, cupping her face. _She was so beautiful… he didn't deserve her, what could he offer her except this chaos?_

"Then I am going to get some gaffa tape and glue it right back up…" Veronica promised, pulling his mouth to hers. He moaned hungrily as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he slipped his hands to her hips. There it was, his sweet peace, he wanted to savour this…

"I love you Veronica.." he told her. "You are the only thing in this world I care about."

 _And I care too much about you to drag you down with me…_ Logan thought miserably.

"I have to tell you something…" she replied leading him over to the sun lounger that sat by the door to the house and easing him down.

"Can it wait? I just want to hold you for a little while…" he pleaded, pulling her into his lap. He wouldn't take it much further than this tonight he thought… after the situation he had gotten himself into with Kendall, he had no right to keep anything from her, but he wasn't ready to let her go just yet. He didn't want to risk angering her, of having her leave him… He sounded so vulnerable that she just nodded gently and allowed him to pull her into his arms as he lay down backwards. She swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around his back up to his shoulders, her head on his chest listening to his heart beat. Could a heartbeat sound melancholy?

"I'm sorry I ran out earlier like I did…" Veronica admitted, hugging him tighter.

Logan felt like the ground had opened up to swallow him, and he looked down at her, fear making his pulse race. _She was here… she knew…_

"Veronica…." He began before she turned, straddling him with her hips and sitting on top of him, biting her lip.

"I bolted… again.. and I shouldn't have done that… I should have given us a chance to talk it out first.." she confessed. _No… No… No…_ his mind raced as he gripped her petite waist in his hands.

"Please let me explain" he begged, pulling her to him, his head buried in her chest. She ran her hand through his sandy brown hair and kissed his forehead.

"You don't have to..." she assured him, he was so panicked.

"I don't even know how she got those pictures.." he told her. "It was from before… I swear…" he pleaded, cupping her face, worry rippling around in his chocolate brown eyes.

Veronica reached out and kissed him. _Oh god…_ he didn't know that she had been the one to leave the pictures here.

"I took those pictures Logan… It was a case… Cassidy wanted proof that Kendall was cheating on his dad… she doesn't have them, neither does Beaver" she explained. "I only found out about them at work, when I got here.. I found her bra in the living room…" she told him.

"She came by…" Logan admitted "but nothing happened… I kicked her out.." he swore, his eyes beseeching with her to trust him. He ran his hands along her back, she had to believe him. _Don't go…_ his mind pleaded.

"I believe you.." Veronica said as she cupped his face. "and I shouldn't have run away like I did"

"Drapetomania" he answered shyly. "An overwhelming urge to runaway" he elaborated.

"I don't want to run away anymore, I want to fight for this…" she declared, brushing her lips against his. _She knew… and she didn't care… she still wanted him…_ his heart began to race and he pulled her tighter, if she wanted to fight for them, then he would too. He grabbed her ass and pulled her closer. There was so much more that she needed to tell him but she was too tired, the night had been too long and emotional. She wanted to get lost in the taste of him, to have him inside her, to cradle him against her body and take care of him, to love him.

"I promised to always be by your side, under you or on top" he murmured between kisses "for as long as you will have me" he told her.

"Good… because I love you Logan" she sighed as she pulled his mouth back to hers, her hands reaching around his shirt to undress him. They may not have been able to have their romantic dinner that he had planned for them tonight but she would make love to him here under the stars, and if she couldn't chase away his nightmares of Aaron Echolls tonight, then she would just keep him awake with her until the sun rose, cradling him to her body, telling him how much she loved him, that he was safe. They could retreat back to his bedroom, and wrap themselves against one another like they had been this morning. It was then she realised that the quote that on her calendar this evening at work was right, you could become homesick for people too.


	18. Chapter 18

Music for this Scene: Lights – Skydiving.

Logan helped Veronica take his shirt off as she straddled him on the sun lounger, pulling away from her mouth just long enough to remove it before he kissed her again. Thoughts of earlier this evening were vanishing from his mind as his hands slipped up under her top to cup her breasts, reaching around to open her bra, tugging both it and the blue top she was wearing off over her head and discarding them onto the concrete floor. All that mattered was becoming as closely connected to her as possible. He trailed kisses down her neck, pulling her closer to him, taking her nipple into his mouth. Veronica gasped at the contrast of the cold night air and the heat of his mouth as he sucked on her breast, there was something so erotic about the way he looked up at her as he did that. She felt something in her ache with need and she bit her lower lip.

His fingers gripped at the belt loops in her jeans as she writhed against him, tugging her closer, he ached to tear the fabric separating them off and feel her tight, warm and wet surrounding him.

"I'm not complaining… I love your ass in these" he said as he squeezed her butt through the jeans "but I really wish you were wearing a skirt right now" he growled as she kissed his neck and shoulder.

"A skirt and knee socks?" she giggled as she nibbled his ear.

"You are such a tease…" he grumbled as he cuddled her against him. He couldn't stop trailing his fingers along her soft skin, it had been an admission he had made during their summer together that he had a particular long term fascination of daydreaming about her during their classes whenever they had been enemies of her writhing on top of him naked wearing nothing but knee socks.

It had been an image that had tormented him for months, particularly on the days that he knew she had used that confession and worn them just to rile him up, to get back at him while she had been dating Duncan and he'd been behaving like a jackass the day before. He didn't know why, but the combination of her petite slim legs and knee socks totally worked for him.

"I'm going to screw you under all of these stars Logan… we are going to do things out here that would make the moon blush" she whispered to him boldly, moving away from him to open her jeans. Pulling them down her hips and stepping out of them.

"You going to screw my brains out?" he smiled in challenge as he started to open his own belt and take his own jeans off, trying to shift them down his legs as he lay on his back on the sun lounger.

"I'm going to screw you senseless" she declared as she grabbed the leg of his jeans and pulled them down over the ankle monitor, throwing them onto the ground. He was hard and eager for her. It wasn't fair that one man had so much darn sex appeal.

"On a school night?" he grinned in mock horror. Damn he had an amazing smile… Veronica thought as she approached the sun lounger again.

"Every night if you keep looking at me like that" she purred as she crawled along the length of his body until they were nose to nose. Gods having her naked except for her lacy white knickers pressed against him was tormenting him, her toned slim body warm against him, her breasts gliding against his taut torso.

"So if I blindfold myself… will you let me get some sleep?" he teased as she kissed him again, burying her fingers in his hair and shaking her head no.

Hells the woman could kiss… she could wrap him around her little finger just by grazing her lips against his. She smelled so good… there was no denying the sexual tension between them. It had always been there, always pulling them together like magnets, even before they had finally given in last night.

"Are we going to fuck nice and slow or are you going to make me sweat for it?" she asked, her blue eyes looking at him intensely.

"You keep talking to me like that and I am going to flip you over…" he warned, slipping his hand into the back of her panties to grab her ass.

"You going to spank me?" she teased, sliding a hand between them to stroke his shaft, he was hard against her pelvis.

"Veronica…." He growled in a low whisper as he shivered.

"It might be the only way I'll learn" she pouted, kissing along his neck.

"I swear to God, I am not going to stop until you are shaking…" he promised as he rolled her up onto his hips, yanking her knees upwards so she was straddling him. Last night he had taken his time, explored her, he had been savouring their first time together, now he was wild with want. She had a body that just made him want to delve into her until their minds couldn't remember how to ask for more. He looked at the sun lounger, trying to calculate exactly if it could take the motion of him thrusting into her the way he needed to.

"Your panties are bothering me… take them off" he whispered as his lips brushed against her neck. The maths just didn't work… he thought in frustration. She cupped his face and explored his mouth with her tongue, moaning, pleading… he was pressed hard against her pussy, so achingly close but not where they both needed him to be.

"You. Me. Bed. Now." she ordered.

He shook his head, grabbing her by the waist and picked her up.

"Kitchen table is so much closer…." He panted as he carried her inside.

It was quite some time later that Veronica and Logan lay on the living room floor sweaty and a little sore.

"Are you ok?" he asked, gliding a hand along her thigh, looking at the spot where his hips had been pressing his weight into her. She had been thoroughly manhandled as they had gotten carried away with their attempts to have sex on almost every surface imaginable in the kitchen and living room. They had owned each other exhaustively until they had collapsed panting on the living room floor rug. He was worried he had been a little too rough with her.

"These? Are happy bruises" she smiled, she felt kind of floaty, most of the feeling hadn't come back yet to her legs, she still felt very tingly.

"God.. that really worked up an appetite…" he mused as his stomach growled.

"If I am still able walk into the kitchen after sex, you don't deserve a sandwich… which I can't, so go knock yourself out" she grinned and the words made him ridiculously happy.

Logan was hungry, but he didn't want to get off the floor just yet, he wanted to lay there with her a while longer, her legs entwined with his. He would do this all day if he could. There really was no one else in the world who could make him feel this way, you can't have epic sex with basic people.

"If you try and put clothes back on at any point today… I am going to rip them back off... with my teeth and then I'm going to put you back over the arm of that chair" he warned her chuckling.

"You mean we aren't done?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. They had been with each other for hours and the sky outside was starting to brighten and she wasn't even sure what time it was.

"No… we are resting…" he told her as he kissed her shoulder.


	19. Chapter 19

"Oh no…" Logan declared as he came up behind his girlfriend Veronica as she stood at the kitchen counter making quick work of chopping up some apples for their fruit salad as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "This… this really doesn't work for me.." he pouted as he ran his hands along the fabric beneath his fingers. She had borrowed one of his sister Trina's smaller dresses and used her belt to make it fit better. He ran his hands down her hips and cupped her breasts, pulling her backwards up against his chest. He smelled like deodorant and soap, his hair still damp from the shower and she smiled as the warmth of him wrapped around her. "I think this should come off…" he sulked, his fingers playing with the hem of the skirt.

"You just want me naked" Veronica accused him as she smirked.

"You are so damn cute when you make food for me" he said in a deep gravelly-voice, opening his mouth as she picked up a piece to feed him _._

 _Dammit he was so going to have to research those private islands soon… preferably one they could get with no extradition laws._

"We still need to talk about all the information I've found" she told him solemnly.

"Can't we make me a fake passport instead?" he sighed as he stepped away and walked to the other side of the counter. Reality was breaking its way into their happy little love bubble and he would give anything to avoid it.

"If only it was that simple" she answered as she slid a plate of fruit salad and yoghurt to his side of the table. She would have to call her father Keith Mars soon to check in and she couldn't afford to miss the opportunity at school to speak to Cassidy and Dick Casablanca's about the information she had uncovered about their step mother, the con woman Kendall Casablanca's. They were still in danger and she had to warn them. "I need to have a look at your dad's movie collection" she told him.

"You trying to find something even remotely watchable in that crap pile?" he asked, puzzled.

"No… I need to check the credits information for a movie called The Long Haul" she explained, dipping a strawberry into her yoghurt.

"My dad's… Aaron's… first big hit?" Logan questioned as he walked towards the hallway closet, his father occasionally kept signed copies of his older dvd's in there as parting gifts for the tourists and visitors he wanted to impress. Veronica nodded as he went inside and started to flick through the list of disks and returned with the one she had mentioned. "What's this for?" he asked curiously as he watched her pull out her computer from her small leather bag and took the disk from him.

He watched as she took a deep breath and took out her phone, flicking through pictures to show him a crime scene image, one of a bloated and bruised dead guy lying face down in the sand. She flicked through to the next image and Logan could clearly see her name written on the hand of the dead guy.

"Where did you get this?" he demanded, taking her phone from her.

"David 'Curly' Moran" she told him. "He showed up dead on the Neptune beach a few days ago… he had my name written on his hand.. he was at the site of the school bus crash a few weeks ago while I was there… I don't know if he was there following me, but according to Sheriff Lamb, someone threw him over the edge of the cliff outside the Road Hog" Veronica elaborated, her voice was shaky.

"When did you know about this?" he pressed as he pulled her to him protectively.

"I was called into the Sheriff's Office yesterday during school" she confessed.

"And you didn't tell me?" he asked incredulously. "Some guy was following you and shows up dead with your name on him like some kind of hit list and you didn't think to mention that before now?"

 _Was she serious?_ Some deep protective instinct inside him was setting the alarm bells off in his head _. He wanted to kill something… to hurt something…_

"It's not the only thing I found…" she dismissed as she shook him off and scrolled through to the end of the DVD to start rolling the credits.

"But you think he has something to do with my dad?" Logan insisted. _Could that be why Aaron Echolls had been in the same cell as Logan last night? Had he been getting questioned by Sheriff Lamb about the bus crash?_

"It's just a theory" she replied and watched as he took a deep breath and trailed his hands through his hair. He looked like he was starting to freak out. _If his father was trying to hurt Veronica again…_

"Is this why you left those voicemails last night?" he asked, recalling the urgency in her voice as she had pleaded with him to call her back.

"It's not the only reason.." she continued.

"Not the only…? how much else is there that you didn't you think to mention to me last night?" he shouted.

"Calm down!" Veronica scolded.

"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN? He's already tried to kill you once…" Logan retorted.

"And YELLING at me doesn't fix anything!" she snapped back at him, her blue eyes were cross with him now.

"If he ever hurt you…" Logan swore as he took a deep breath. Gathering her up in his arm cupping her face and kissing her.

"I'm okay.." Veronica promised. She understood this fear… Aaron Echolls had already cost Logan the lives of two women that he loved. He hugged her tightly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked as he kissed her forehead.

"I couldn't deal… there was all that stuff with Kendall… you had been arrested and then you had just spent time in that cell with him… I just didn't want to make the night any worse… I wanted to get it out of my head for a while… and I wanted to take care of you and I just needed you to hold me… this stuff wasn't going anywhere" she informed him softly. "All it would have done would be to get you as worried as you are right now… and I just wanted some peace from it for a few hours"

That part he could understand, she had wanted to delay the horror, he couldn't blame her for that… how he really did wish she would just use that Private Investigator Savvy of hers and make them both new identities so they could just run away together where this stuff couldn't happen to them.

Veronica stared at the credits screen and then paused it, her eyes connected with Logan's.

Signature Chief Stunt Co-ordinator: David Moran

The Signature Stunt for The Long Haul? A truck was crashed and sent veering over a bridge.

He certainly would have known how to make that bus crash.


	20. Chapter 20

Veronica sighed helplessly as she watched as Logan paced the kitchen, doing his best to avoid losing control again and punching the cupboards or something. He had already thrown his breakfast plate against the wall. She had just finished getting him up to speed about Kendall Casablanca's and her connection to the Fitzpatrick's family and his father, Aaron Echolls. He was furious, but she knew it wasn't with her.

He hadn't spoken to her in about 15 minutes.

"GOD DAMN IT!" he shouted angrily as he picked up her phone again and flicked through the pictures of him and Kendall doing the nasty. He felt sick.

 _How could he have been so stupid as to not realise Kendall, Priscilla.. whatever name was.. had been playing him the entire time?_

He looked at Veronica standing leaning against the back of the couch watching him with her arms folding around herself as he paced the kitchen.

 _Because you underestimated the monster in your nightmares…_ his mind whispered. He would never make that mistake again.

"I'm sorry" Logan told her earnestly as he put the phone down again. His brown eyes pleading with her for forgiveness. He had failed her again… in the worst possible way. _How could he not have entertained the idea that his father would do whatever it took to survive this?_

"It's not your fault… you didn't know" she reassured him.

"I should have known" Logan denied. "I let myself get distracted… and he almost killed you and Duncan" he breathed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I let that **_viper_** right inside my house"

"You are human… why would you think something like that could happen?" Veronica told him firmly.

"Because I'm dealing with pure evil? I should have brought in an exorcist…" he sighed angrily. His father had murdered Lilly… and continued to manipulate every little part of Logan's life, even from behind bars, and to think he had thought for the last few months he had been safe from him. That Veronica had been safe from him. "I still don't know where Dick and Beaver fit into all of this" Logan admitted.

"Life insurance policy, probably" Veronica suggested, it would have been the most logical assumption if she were to guess. She wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't a large policy out on their father, Richard Casablanca's as well.

"But why would she go to all the trouble of getting MARRIED to him… I'm not that hard to seduce…" Logan pondered before meeting Veronica's gaze. "I'm just saying… she wouldn't have had to go to those lengths to get access to the house.. if all she wanted to do was keep me away from the bus the day of the crash"

"She must have been looking for something.. if there's anything I can gather from her criminal history, it's that she likes to play the long con. There was a bigger goal here than just playing house with you… I just haven't figured out all the connections yet" she told him, tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear.

"We haven't… you aren't doing this alone" Logan warned her.

"There was a bar that the girl from the Road Hog mentioned.. Apparently Kendall worked there for a few months when she first got to town.. maybe someone there knows something?" Veronica suggested.

"Which bar is it?" Logan asked, crossing his arms across his chest and frowning. He was less than thrilled at the idea of her going on a stake out until they had had more time to find out what was happening with his trial hearing in the Felix Toomes murder investigation… it made getting himself cleared that much more important now, because he couldn't protect her if he was behind bars.

"The Rusty Knot?" she told him.

"The Strip Club?" he asked disbelievingly. She nodded and pulled her computer closer to call up the information about the club.

"How do you feel about going for a lap dance whenever I get home from Work?" she asked conspiratorially.


	21. Chapter 21

Logan slid into the seat opposite Cliff McCormack on the patio dining set and played with the sheet of terms of his bail conditions. Veronica had left for school without him about an hour ago before his court appointed public lawyer had arrived to brief him on the hearing arrangements.

"Depending on the circumstances of your offense – in your case, murder, and on what type of terms and conditions I could secure- you may be permitted to work or attend school, tend to family obligations, attend and participate in counselling appointments, alcohol / drug classes, community service, travel to medical appointments, and participate in any other court-approved activities" Cliff summarised.

"Court approved.. so I am guessing underage drinking on licensed premises are out of the question?" Logan asked.

"I would advise against any _grey_ area activities at least for the time being. The bracelet sends a 24-hour signal to the monitoring agency that provides real-time communication of any irregularities. This also includes a sensor which measures blood alcohol and heart rate levels" Cliff warned him dryly.

"So no downing a 6 pack and lighting up at lunch huh? I can't have a wine with my dinner?" Logan retorted sarcastically.

"I wouldn't even have a wine gum in your possession… how you behave on this tracker will be sent back to the prosecution to use against you in your case" Cliff countered. He wouldn't be able to accompany Veronica on her intended outing this evening after school then, the list in front of him forbade any proximity to being in a bar or licensed premises.

"So I should think about going to church and being a good little boy for the GPS?" he replied sullenly.

"If you think that could help you _Legally Blonde_ your way out of this mess, I say you start building orphanages and saving kittens from trees" Cliff told him bluntly. "Still no chance of you just doing us both a favour and getting a real lawyer… or five?"

"Is there any information on whoever this mystery witness is?" Logan pressed again.

"That would be Dr Tom Griffiths... but according to his testimony you should know that, since according to him, you threatened to have him and his family killed if he said anything" Cliff informed him.

"According to his big steaming pile of lies you mean" Logan sighed. This witness was obviously lying…

"According to the testimony, you were raving like a maniac" Cliff told him.

"Then why did this **witness** say it took him so long to come forward?" Logan asked. "Did I suddenly stop being so scary?"

"Dr Griffiths says that he _couldn't live with the guilt anymore and had to come forward to do the right thing_ " Cliff quoted.

"Yeah right…" he sighed as he handed Cliff back the signed agreement of his terms and conditions. "I'm innocent… I'll prove it" Logan declared.

"Until then… just try and play by the rules. It would make my life so much easier and since you insist on keeping me around… don't piss me off, or I'll lose some paperwork" Cliff told him dryly.

"What's this part?" Logan asked.

"Oh.. you have a two mile radius limit from your School and your Home. Between the pre-agreed hours, you have to stay within two miles of these two locations, doctors' appointments require authorisation and written approval from a judge or magistrate prior to attendance" Cliff answered. "Thank god for Home Delivery Services huh? Or do you still have staff for that these days?"

Logan looked at him wearily, he had a very limited high priced independent cleaning service maintaining the Echolls family estate ever since the summer and the local domestic staff most of whom had ties to the PCH biker club couldn't be trusted with access to the house. It had meant that Logan no longer had access to a personal chef or daily interaction with the staff who used to work around the house. He hadn't really paid much attention to them before… but without them… the place was too big and empty.

"I get by" Logan retorted. He missed Veronica… his suspension from school would be ending in two more days, until then it seemed he was confined to the Echolls family house. The grounds themselves almost stretched two miles from the main house to gate down to the edge of the hills overlooking Neptune. "Any news on my car?" Logan asked.

"You still cannot have access to your vehicle, you can either have a driver arranged yourself or the Sheriff's department will supply a contact for a suitable service" Cliff explained simply, packing the rest of the documents into his case and clicking it shut. Logan liked him, he didn't usually take to people, and his manner was a little old school eccentric… like he wouldn't be out of place at a poker table with a bourbon in his hand.

"I think I could arrange something" Logan replied. "Is there anything else I need to do?"

"No… just don't miss your scheduled check in with the Sheriffs Department on Saturday" he warned as he shook Logan's hand and the two of them walked to the main door.

"I wouldn't want to be in your shoes… that business with your father over the summer is… unsavoury" Cliff commented as he turned to make eye contact with Logan as he stood in the doorway.

"Unsavoury… that is one way of putting it" Logan sighed.

"It really doesn't buy you much Jury Love. I just want you to be prepared… the Echolls name, is a bad brand and your stocks are plummeting in the court of public opinion lately. Just do us both a favour, try and stay out of trouble" Cliff suggested before turning and heading back to his Blue Lexus parked in the driveway.

Logan couldn't settle, he had completed his homework assignments that the guidance counsellor Becky had emailed him and played a few hours of video games. He had texted Veronica about the 2 mile limit from is house and being banned from going to a license premise, that part was really going to suck.

 _"Still want a Lap Dance and I'll wear knee socks?"_

It had made him laugh, at least she hadn't freaked out on him after his tantrum in the kitchen earlier. He would have to warn Duncan to be on the lookout for minions of his fathers, but he wasn't sure how to approach that conversation without bringing up that he had gotten back together with Veronica. He missed Duncan, the two boys had practically been brothers, partners in crime… then they had both fallen in love with the same girl. Yes, Duncan had seen Veronica first… but then he had let her go, she had grown and changed from the person she had been who was best friends with Lilly Kane. They had both tried to reclaim those pieces of who they had been before… and it hadn't worked, because she had wasn't the same girl anymore. She was Logan's, and he was hers.

He wouldn't be able to call over to the Java the Hut later for coffee, it was along the pier.. exactly 1.34 miles outside his radius. This meant no surfing either. House arrest was going to suck.

"Dude… you didn't hit the waves, what gives?" Dick Casablanca's asked when Logan answered the door.

"Ankle Bling my friend" Logan told him, lifting his jogging bottom leg up to show it off.

"Bummer… you not allowed to get it wet?" he asked as he walked inside with a box of take out.

"It's not advised, although they were kind enough to supply a rubber ankle sock encase I needed to shower or wanted to use the pool" Logan explained as he took the pizza box from Dick.

"So you got like a city limit or something?" Dick asked as he pulled a piece of pineapple pizza off and took a bite.

"2 mile radius" Logan informed him, showing him the google map screensaver he had made on his laptop of where over his property was covered. "I go over that line… and I end up back in the company of our lovely Local Sheriff"

"Damn.. man that sucks. Totally had a line on these cheerleaders from Pam out by Route 15.. anyways there was a lacrosse game… but if you can't get out, I'm not sure we could convince them to come up here to Casa-de-Killer ya know?" Dick told him through mouthfuls of burning cheese and pizza.

"Have you spoke to Veronica or Duncan today?" he asked.

"Dude… Duncan's face is so busted up, I saw him yesterday… you got some swing" Dick told him.

"And Veronica? Have you spoken to her today?" Logan asked, he wanted to know if she had been able to tell him the information about Kendall Casablanca's his stepmothers real identity.. about the bus crash potentially being used to kill him.

"Man… seriously.. you need some gene therapy to cut that girl outta you… I don't know what is with you, you got serious game and then you go and get yourself whipped by one of these girls and fall in love…. And it's like you get obsessed. Not healthy man… I recommend therapy" Dick told him earnestly. Dick Casablanca's was one of the most loyal people Logan had ever met, even when there had been doubts about his innocence over the Lilly Kane murder investigation during those first few weeks until Abel Koontz had falsely confessed, Dick had insisted that both he and his brother would have Logan's back. Until the grave, he had told him when Logan had been sitting on the high way freaking out and crying after Sean and Lacey had called them about Lilly's murder. He had held Logan together most of that summer while Keith Mars had been tearing through everyone in Lilly's life. "And I hate head doctors…"

"I'm guessing that's a no…" Logan offered.

"What the hell could I have to talk to Veronica Mars about?" Dick scoffed.

"Well…" Logan said as he took a deep breath and began to tell his best friend the story of all the information they had found.


	22. Chapter 22

"I don't want to get into this right now.." Wallace warned as he sat at the lunch table while Veronica approached slowly with her tray. She knew from his text messages last night that he knew she wasn't staying with Mac.. that she had been spending the night with Logan Echolls, her boyfriend.

 _Boyfriend… did that word even cover the magnitude of what was going on between the two of them?_

Wallace looked at her very Un-Veronica attire and shook his head, guiltily she blushed. "I know you don't even own a dress like that… and there's no way Mac had one to let you borrow." Wallace accused her.

"Wallace.." she pleaded. She really didn't want to be fighting with him about this again, she was stressing out this morning, especially after how upset Logan had been when she had told him about David Curly Moran and Kendall's real identity.

"You said you were at Mac's last night… I hate lying for you" he complained, his brown eyes bore into hers while he picked up his pudding cup and she slid into the seat next to him.

"Aaron Echolls is in the holding cell at the Sheriff's Office right now… Logan was arrested last night, they put them into the same cell together" Veronica declared, her blue eyes hardened. Surely even Wallace could sympathise with Logan for having to be thrown into a 6x9 cell with the man who had murdered his girlfriend and abused him for years?

"Logan was arrested? Again?" Wallace repeated. "And now… Aaron Echolls is already back in the picture? Veronica… do you not hear yourself? It's been a **day…** you have only been back together with him a single day"

"And none of this is Logan's fault Wallace.." She argued. _How could he be so stubborn about this?_ He usually had her back about everything, he was her best friend.

"I'm not excited about you saddling up with someone who is in the cross-hairs of the PCHers" Wallace scolded. He remembered all too well how intimidating they could be, the first day he had ever met Veronica, the PCHers had taped him butt naked to the school flag pole because the Sheriff had taken the security tape at his work when they had robbed the place. He was still wary when he saw those leather jackets and bikers. "This is serious Veronica… I hear things; they want to get back at Logan really bad for stabbing Felix Toomes to death"

"Logan didn't kill Felix" she corrected indignantly, recalling the night Logan had shown up with broken ribs, beaten with a concussion on her doorstep after they had caught up with him on that bridge. Eli Navarro the leader of the PCH biker gang at Neptune High School, was 100% convinced that Logan was guilty and he had refused to listen to reason. She knew Wallace was right about the rumours, you could feel the tension like battle lines being drawn around the campus between the 09ers and the PCHers and everyone else was just caught in the middle.

"They still think he did!" Wallace told her simply. "And while they do, you are jumping back into the shotgun through the car window firing line, and I care about you Mars, you are practically my family now… I am worried"

"Was my dad at yours or ours last night?" Veronica asked quietly, picking up her apple. Their parents were in a pretty serious relationship, and often Keith Mars wasn't home when Veronica woke up these days, at 18, she could pretty much take care of herself, but Keith Mars was still pretty protective, and Veronica hated disappointing him. They both had very high expectations of each other, in a town where most of the parents would rather throw cash at their kids than spend time with them, her relationship with her father, her business partner and best friend was very special.

"Ours… didn't seem to have any doubts about your story. But Veronica… seriously, what can you possibly like in this guy?" Wallace quizzed as he emptied the pudding cup with his spoon and took the piece of chocolate cake she offered. He was genuinely bewildered, he had only even seen the worst of him. Wallace didn't know the Logan from before Lilly's murder. He didn't know him from before Veronica and Logan had been enemies, he didn't know him beyond that confrontation they had on the beach and the videos of Logan howling in chaotic laughter when he had organised the series of bum fights last year.

"Lots of stuff…" She retorted defensively. _His body.. his hands… his eyes and their ability to make her melt… his heart.. the way he loved her._

"Enough to risk ruining your relationship with your dad?" he asked… her relationship with her dad was something Wallace envied; he had lost his father a few years before and as a young man.. she supposed the lose of a male role model like that, that guidance was all the more potent. _Loving Logan was enough to risk her soul…_

"We don't decide who we like… it happens" she told him. Veronica had certainly never planned falling in love with her dead friends' boyfriend, of being involved in something so complicated, so dangerous, so inescapably hardwired deep in her bones.

"So what do we do now?" Wallace asked, propping his head up on his hands.

"You back on Team V?" she smiled.

"I am always Team V… it's this new expansion pack I've got issues with… but I'll let it slide, because you are Veronica Mars, my best friend" he declared as he bit into the cake she had given him.

"You just show up for the cake" she accused him, grinning.

 _Their little fights never lasted too long._

"I do just show up for the cake" he grinned right back.

"Well… I guess it's time I told you everything…" she told him finally.

"Details? Girl.. this isn't Sex and the City, I am not one of your Gossip Girls" he protested screwing his face up and reaching for his grape soda.

"Not THOSE details" she frowned as she pulled up her laptop. "These details.." she said as she showed him the file she had started on David Curly Moran and the Fitzpatrick's. Wallace's face darkened and he stared at her seriously as he flicked through the information.

She had erased all of the photos she had taken of Logan and Kendall, last thing she wanted was a copy of those somehow ending up back in the hands of Richard Casablanca's, Cassidy and Dicks father. Colour her paranoid, but some things should never be left to chance. She had searched for Cassidy and Dick this morning at school but they weren't around, apparently half of the senior class had decided to skip today due to the Bus Crash Memorial happening later this evening.

"The bus crash?" Wallace asked as his eyes widened in understanding.

"When I was still with Duncan… so it doesn't matter what relationship I am in… the danger is out there anyway" Veronica said gravely.

 _"I can't leave the house"_ Logan's text message said as her phone chirped.

"How do you feel about going to a Strip Club?" Veronica asked as she looked at the message again.

"Java the Hut really not working out for you?" Wallace said raising an eyebrow. "There are easier ways to make college money girl… you don't need to put up that red light" he joked.

"I don't know.. I kind of think the name Roxanne would suit you… Roxy if you were into that kind of thing" Weevil said as he approached their table.

"Weevil…" Veronica gasped as she closed down the laptop screen.

"Hey V, word is.. you and Duncan called it quits" he said as he gave her his usual calculating stare.

"You know me, Weev's, I love to keep them guessing" she smiled wryly.

"You just love leading these rich boys on, huh?" he commented as he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Well you know you are always my Stand by guy.." she flirted. They usually had this dry innuendo humour with one another, but she was being careful not to give too much away. Now more than ever, she really had to get Weevil on her side. She needed to get him to listen to her.

"Well I'd never lead a girl on unless I was planning to catch her… get her to ride my big old hog" he smiled sarcastically.

"So yea, me and Duncan are over" she confirmed.

"You finally get tired of that 09er life style? Not dangerous enough for you? If you want some real excitement… you should come hang with me and my boys" he suggested. "We know how to really heat things up" he encouraged, flashing his eyebrows at his companions who laughed like it was some kind of private joke.

"You familiar with the Road Hog?" Veronica asked suddenly, as she looked at Weevil's ears… that shiny piece of metal Sheriff Lamb had shown her yesterday.. now she knew where she had seen it before. David Curly Moran was connected to Weevil somehow.

"Biker bar off the PCH… my cousin Mateo's brothers ex-girlfriend works there" he nodded, eyeing her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Just seems like the kind of place to go if you really wanted to go over the edge…" she hinted. Something flickered through his eyes, she had been right.

"Stick to your beaches… place like that is bad news for a girl like you" he warned her.

"So I have been told" she replied provocatively.

"You should listen" he retorted and just like that, the wall came down and he eyed her up, giving his guys the nod to head away from the table and back to their usual side of the campus near the Auto shop.

"This just keeps getting more and more complicated" she muttered to Wallace as Thumper and Hector glared at her as they walked away.

"No… this Dead serious" Wallace said as he pulled up the crime scene picture of Curly again.


	23. Chapter 23

"Are you sure Wallace won't tell your dad?" Logan asked as he listened to Veronica's voice when she had called him during her free period. He wanted her to just come clean and tell him, to claim him as her boyfriend officially again and he was a little disappointed when she had explained that it would be best to keep their relationship a secret for now but he couldn't really argue with her logic.

After the encounter with Weevil, she had said something had been bothering her and she wanted to talk to him again about the Felix situation. She had suggested they keep up the pretence of being frenemies while at school so she could get the PCHers to drop their guard a little and get more information. Logan had never hesitated to define their relationship, that night when his father had thrown the surprise party, he had stood in front of all of the 09ers and declared that she was his girlfriend and that if anyone had a problem with it they could get the hell out of his life. She had always been that little bit more cautious… she had never been like that with Duncan. It stung, it was an old wound he supposed. The first time he had told her that he was in love with her, she hadn't said it back, she had brushed it off with a quick joke.

"No, after I explained about the whole Curly situation.. and your dad's involvement. He got on board pretty quick. Jackie is pissed at him again but it's not exactly like we can just go around letting any old person know what's going on, it's not safe until we know more information" she told him. Logan thought about that carefully, she had a point… he was just grateful that Dick was still too freaked out by the revelations about Kendall's real identity and her possible murder attempt to go storming off right now. He had omitted the fact that he and Kendall had both been having an affair, but the links to the Fitzpatrick's and the deaths of the other kids on the bus weren't that easy to ignore.

"Is that Ronnie?" Dick asked as he wandered around the kitchen drinking the first bottle of Scotch from the bottle that he had found in the cupboard. Logan nodded.

"Are you sure Dick is going to be able to handle this?" Veronica asked him. Honestly? Logan wasn't sure, Dick was a bit of a ditz sometimes but he knew how to keep his mouth shut and stick to the story.

"I hope so" he replied carefully. He was praying that he could get Dick sort of tipsy in the next hour, so that he could get him to spend the night in the guest house… too drunk to drive at least. Then he could talk him around, buy them time.

"Give me the phone…" Dick demanded as he put the bottle down on the counter.

"Uh… he wants to talk to you" Logan told Veronica as he handed the phone to Dick.

"Ronnie… Sup? So apparently someone's trying to murder me and my little brother… you got any spy gadgets that can help a fella out with that?" He asked sarcastically. "You secretly a little Ninja or something?"

"Where is Cassidy?" Veronica questioned softly.

"With Mr Pope… something about pictures and the Sandpiper hotel… I don't know exactly, its Beave, I don't always know where he is… I'm guessing I should start huh?" Dick confessed.

"Pictures…. The ones from my investigation?" She asked.. what could Beaver possibly have noticed about those pictures? She had erased all the photos she had taken of Logan and Kendall together. She would have to review them again herself and see what was going on… perhaps she had missed something important?

"I don't know.. you don't think this is going to end up like Final Destination do you? That each of us who were supposed to be on that bus before the Crash aren't going to get bumped off?" Dick asked hysterically.

"No… I don't think it works like that…" she rebuffed.

"Because.. I was sitting up near the end of that bus.. so that buys us some time right?" Dick continued as Logan held his hand back out for the phone and handed Dick back the bottle of scotch.

"Hey.." Logan sighed finally.

"He's pretty scared huh?" Veronica sympathised.

"Fucking bitch probably wants to _Basic Instinct_ my dad" Dick swore as he took another swig.

"Just a bit" he agreed. "You okay?" he asked, he was sure that run in with Weevil must have been the last thing she wanted to deal with.

"Yeah… I just have to talk to Duncan soon" she admitted. Logan was glad she couldn't see his knuckles whiten as his gripped tightened around the phone, hells yes he was jealous. Even after the last few days of their making up… he always felt nervous about the power Duncan had held over Veronica.

"Alone?" Logan asked quietly. He trusted her… he did… he just didn't trust Duncan not to try and win her back.

"I've asked him to come down to Java the Hut while I'm working tonight" she told him. At least there they wouldn't be able to get up to anything he supposed.

"Did you tell him why?" he asked softly.

"Not over the phone" she said in a low voice. Clarence Weidman, the Kane's family head of security was known for bugging phones. Veronica had grown paranoid in recent months and had started to sweep for bugs regularly.

"You plan to tell him about us?" Logan asked point blank. He was all for keeping secrets from her father until after they had investigated Felix's case and cleared his name… but he wanted her to be with him on this. Duncan had to know that she was his.

"Not right away" she admitted. He sighed down the phone.

 _Was it totally possessive of him that he wanted her to declare it to the world that she was_ _ **His**_ _Girlfriend?_

"Don't you think it will just be worse for him to find out later?" Logan reasoned. He really hated that he was under house arrest; he wanted to go with her. Even after everything they had shared, he was still insecure, she had left him for Duncan once already.

"I think we need him to hear us out first, that's a lot harder to do if he thinks…" Veronica began.

"That you are in love with me?" he interrupted. He was being petty, and he knew it.

"Yeah… it might make him a little stubborn" she agreed. Logan was jealous, and she knew it. He was jealous by nature, it had used to drive Lilly crazy when he used to start fights with people because he thought they were moving in on his girl.. of course. Lilly was also a massive flirt and had cheated on Logan with his own father so perhaps she should have taken that information with a pinch of salt.

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable with you looking into all of this stuff alone while I'm stuck in here…" he breathed slowly. Ever since he had found out about these possible connections of his dads to the bus crash.. to Kendall Casablanca's and the attempts on Veronica's life he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he wanted to wrap her up in a bubble and keep her away from everything else in the world. He felt like a Neanderthal, and she was painfully aware of it. _Wasn't it this kind of caveman behaviour from him that had driven her away the first time?_

"I'm not sure how long we can afford to wait" she reasoned.

"Just… don't.. do anything without me okay?" he pleaded. He needed to be there, to be involved. They were a team now, it wasn't going to be like before, he wasn't going to be hatching plans without her… and she wouldn't be running off and almost getting killed. They would work through things together. "Promise me Veronica… please don't do this alone"

"Okay… I promise" she said finally.

"Call me later?" he asked.

"As soon as I get off work" she said as she hung up.

Logan looked at Dick as he flicked through the file that Veronica had created on Kendall's identity and prayed that she really listened to him.

"Dude… Your Girl should join the CIA" Dick complimented.

"My Girl?" Logan grinned as he put his phone back in his pocket, at least one person knew.


	24. Chapter 24

Veronica was a little disappointed that Logan had seemed so nervous earlier on the phone about her meeting with Duncan. She felt sure that she had eased any doubts he might have been having but she could understand his uncertainty, trust didn't come easily to her either. She changed the coffee filter and listened to the latest singer at the karaoke night, a curvaceous short red head woman in her forty's sang surprisingly well a cover of "Hey Jealousy" by The Gin Blossoms and her thoughts drifted to Logan.

 _Could she really fault him for being so jealous? Hadn't she last night ruined their date when she had found those pictures of Kendall?_

The jealousy, was it because they were having such an intense affair? This connection between them… it felt like she had a fever. Her body burned for him even now. That he could ever think Duncan would ever compete with it was bewildering. This love for him… it was going to burn her up. Part of her was worried that this was one of those terrifying, completely self-destructive forces of nature that you spend your whole life searching for but know that in the end, it can only leave you broken or dead. This thing between them… it was like a bad drug habit… and she knew she would always end up going back for more. Probably no matter how far he pushed her limits. Love could show you a part of yourself that you never knew existed.

The woman began to sing louder as the song entered the chorus and it struck Veronica how perfectly it was timed as Duncan had arrived and the guitars were still playing. This was a conversation she would rather not be having. It had been here in this very café that she had gotten back together with him after her 18th birthday at the end of last summer. His face was still swollen and it looked like his nose had been broken, she had been furious with Logan after the confrontation between the two of them at school. Seeing Duncan, it was a reminder of just how unpredictable Logan could be. Of how much anger ruled him to degrees that terrified her.

"Hey.." she said shyly. Duncan gave her a small smile and slid into the chair at the counter beside her work station. She instinctively reached for the milk container and started to make him a latte like she usually did when he would come in during her shifts and keep her company while they had been dating.

 _Had that really only been a few days ago?_

"How are you?" he asked shyly as Veronica handed him a piece of chocolate cake.

"Busy.. it's been a hectic night" she replied and gave him his coffee. Karaoke night tended to bring in a lot of regulars. "How is your..?" she said as she pointed to his bruises.

"I'm healing, it's not broken… it looks broken, but surprisingly, it wasn't" he said awkwardly. That was a typical Duncan response, she could never really tell if he was talking about his heart or his nose. The boy was a mystery, wrapped in an enigma and explained with a riddle. He never really talked about his feelings much.

"I'm sorry Duncan…." She said finally as his blue eyes bore into hers.

He had been her first love, the first boy she had ever allowed herself to go crazy for, he was the name wrapped all over her sophomore diary inside little hearts. He was the kind of man she had always envisioned herself being with… he ticked all the boxes, smart, handsome and a good person. Her adorable, honest, reliable and decent human being of a boyfriend… He was the only thing she had ever known she had wanted before her life had turned to chaos. He was the stuff of teddy bears and ice-cream. Back when she had just been a girl, romantic and trusting and a head full of dreams of the life she was supposed to have. But she wasn't that girl anymore… she had been shattered with the death of her best friend, she had been fractured with the disappearance of her mother and she had been demolished when she had been ousted by all of the people she had thought were her friends. She had been remade, rebuilt and forged from the vengeful fire she had allowed to consume her until she had caught Aaron Echolls, Lilly Kane's murderer. Who she had become was more of a weapon than the sweet girl whom Duncan had fallen in love with. A petite camera wielding badass had no place playing dress up with prince charming… not when there were damsels that needed saving. This was part of her that Duncan could never understand… but it was the very person who Logan had fallen in love with.

"No… I'm sorry Veronica… we should have realised… the truth is… I was trying to hold onto you to try to hold onto Lilly… and to try and go back… to get something back… but you are right. We both changed… you were with Logan and I was with Meg… and that's how it should have been…" he declared sadly as he took a bite of the chocolate cake.

So she had been right… for weeks, it had seemed like there was this part of Duncan that she just couldn't reach, ever since the crash… and even just before. She wasn't even jealous, just a little sad. It always seemed like they were jigsaw pieces that didn't quite fit as perfect as they used to. Duncan had always been defensive whenever Veronica had mentioned how Meg was getting along in the hospital. It was a relief in a way that they could finally be honest about these things. Meg Manning was important to Duncan, the same way that Logan was important to Veronica, if only they had just been less stubborn, less trying to hold onto the fantasy of who they had been before.

 _Perhaps Meg wouldn't be fighting for her life in an intensive care ward right now…_

"Is there any news?" she asked softly, picking up her own fork and taking a bite of the cake as well.

His blue eyes broke away from hers and he became very pensive, lost. He stared at the floor for the longest time before he sighed and pursed his lips, looking at her finally.

"Meg's sister Lizzie came to see me yesterday" his voice sounded rough and his eyes were watering.

"Oh God… is she…?" Veronica stammered… _please don't say dead…_

"She's Pregnant Veronica… Meg is 26 weeks pregnant" he admitted, burying his head against his blue shirt. "Lizzie wouldn't tell me while we were together… but when she heard that we had broken up…."

Veronica thought back to how cold and defensive Meg had been those first few weeks of school and how bitchy she had been the day of the crash…. No wonder she hadn't wanted Veronica to be with Duncan.

"Oh Duncan…." she said, reaching her hand to hold his. They may not be dating anymore, but aside from that year he had avoided her thinking they were half siblings, they had always been close. Her heart was broken for him.

"I don't know what to do…" he confessed.

"You do Duncan, you will be there for her, I know you will" she comforted him, she left her side of the counter and wrapped her arms around him.

"I don't even know how I'm going to begin to explain this to my parents…" he told her, his tears were falling against her shirt. She knew from the brief encounter outside Meg's hospital room that her parents were very religious, and they largely blamed Duncan for their daughter being on the bus that day and not being in the Limo with the other 09er students.. Veronica blamed herself. If she hadn't been with Duncan that day, then Meg would have gotten into the Limo, she wouldn't need that machine to breathe. She wouldn't have been the sole survivor clinging on after that bus crash.

The bus crash meant for her and Duncan.

"Duncan… I have to tell you something…." Veronica told him as she stepped back a little. "It's about the bus crash…."


	25. Chapter 25

"I've been away from her for **ONE** day and you already moved in?" Duncan demanded as he stormed into Logan's house. "Oh… and your father just tried to kill me recently so how about we open the floor with that?" he shouted as he went into the living room where Logan and Dick had been sitting going through the patient information that Veronica had emailed him after school about this Doctor Tom Griffiths. The mystery witness from the Felix Toomes murder investigation… except it wasn't the guy from the bridge. Logan could remember something about a seafood truck… and that the guy was Mexican, but there wasn't much else. He certainly wasn't a divorced father of one and a plastic surgeon.

Logan turned to the furious and bruised face of his former best friend, Duncan Kane. He hadn't heard anything from Veronica after her shift, but that was to be expected, she was currently on her way home after her shift at Java the Hut to talk to her father Keith Mars. Veronica must have told him everything…

"Duncan…" he gulped as he stood to greet him. Duncan looked a mess, and the reminder of their fight reminded Logan of his own tender ribs. His blue eyes looked at him venomously.

"Meg is fucking pregnant Logan…" he cursed at him. "How much distance does my family have to take from yours before it stops trying to wipe mine out huh?"

 _Meg was pregnant? His father had almost cost Duncan the life of his unborn child?_

"Listen man.. I…" Logan began. His mind was reeling, the accusations punched in the gut.

"Save it… I am done listening to you. But if you hurt or your father ever hurt Veronica, I will fucking kill you" Duncan threatened, but in this case, that was probably a promise.

"Hey man… you aren't the only one they are trying to bump off dude" Dick protested drunkenly as he sat watching the two men from the couch.

"I used to think it was just losing my sister that made you so dark man… but now I see it's always been there hasn't it?" Duncan spewed angrily. "You are going to end up dragging her down with you… and she will let you because that's just who she is… if you really loved her you'd set her free."

"Don't you dare try and tell me how to love her… I'd die for her" Logan spat furiously, his heart was thundering in his chest. "It's not my fault she chose me" he argued.

"Yeah… well you might want to choose her over yourself. She's going to die because of you… maybe it won't be your dad… but it will be something.. another drive by… another knife fight… another mess you get yourself into and she comes to the rescue to bail you out. I'm not going to say anything about the two of you being together… I don't want her being put in the cross-hairs again but honestly, I don't know how you have the nerve…" Duncan scoffed as he pointed at the ankle monitor on Logan's leg. "You should have just stayed away from my sister… you should have stayed away from them both" he continued, shaking his head as he turned and walked out the door.

Logan was tearing up as he watched Duncan storm off back out of the house. It was the same story Logan had heard his entire life, he was bad news, he invited trouble wherever he went, and it was the people around him who suffered for it the most. This guilt would break him. His best friends were in danger, his first girlfriend was dead and the love of his life was in danger every moment she stayed with him.

 _Fucking bastard…_ Duncan knew how to hit him right where it hurt.

"That was savage… you okay buddy?" Dick asked as he put down the glass of scotch in his hand.

Logan could barely hear him over the whisper of Aaron Echolls voice taunting him.

 _"Everything you touch you destroy son…"_

No… No he wasn't.


	26. Chapter 26

Veronica browed through the pictures she had taken of Kendall Casablanca's during her three days of surveillance that Cassidy Casablanca's, her step son had hired Veronica to collect. It appeared that Kendall Casablanca's wasn't the 25 year old former Laker girl she had claimed to be. She was in fact a 29 year old former prostitute ex-con called Priscilla Banks, who had assumed the identity of a dead girl from her high school. She was also much more than the High Society Spandex to Cashmere Socialite that appeared to be. Logan had told her that Cassidy had informed Dick that he was safe, he was with one of their teachers talking to some gentlemen from the FCC

Veronica had looked into who the Bag Guy was whom she kept meeting at hotels, he was a local assessor for the real estate business, and the footage from the camera she had hidden in Kendall's replacement ipod showed that she was not having an affair with him.. no the only naked photos she had seen of her had been the ones that she had destroyed of her and Logan. Nowhere did it seem that she had any direct contact with the Fitzpatrick's… she would have to get Mac to hack into her phone records. Looking at the photos of the various properties had given Veronica an idea.. she had searched already for property in Kendall Casablanca's name, there were very few. Mostly just a few cars and a storage locker down by the marina at Neptune Plaza, but that wasn't unusual, a lot of wealthy 09ers owned storage facilities down there, and it was actually shared by Dick and Beaver for their surfing equipment, so she doubted there was much nefarious going on in there. But it did get her thinking about the REAL Kendall… Priscilla Banks.

A property search showed that there were three local property's open in her name.

The River Styxx bar, a salon called Cupids Bow in a really seedy part of Neptune frequented by hookers and strippers, and residential property in Neptune 080603.

The Fitzpatrick's frequented the River Styxx, Veronica knew that much from her father's, Keith Mars' days as Sheriff; he had put about 5 of the Fitzpatrick's brothers behind bars.

Google maps revealed that the Cupids Bow salon was located near The Rusty Knot; somehow that coincidence didn't surprise her. Logan didn't want her going anywhere near that part of town by herself… truly the idea of infiltrating a strip club potentially run by the Fitzpatrick's didn't appeal to her. She usually loved going undercover for her Private Investigatory work… but this was so much bigger.

She had promised. She just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something there she had to find… She needed more information, and she couldn't exactly get that from where she sat curled up at her desk in her bedroom with Backup snuggled against her feet.

She didn't want to ask her father that meant she would have to admit to her dad about the dead guy on the beach, about Aaron Echolls and then he would really put her inside a giant hamster bubble like he kept jokingly threatening. A revelation like that could be the final straw, and he might even move them out of Neptune after all.

Perhaps Leo D'amato could help her fill in the blanks with some of the more non-legal side of things, their break up had been awkward last year and he had been a little frosty since he had arrested Logan, but she was sure with the correct pizza toppings she could win him over long enough to find out more about The Rusty Knot and the Fitzpatricks. She could even ask him more about the security situation in the Evidence at lock up where the Lilly Kane/Aaron Echolls sex tapes were being held. That was a loose end she really wanted to tighten up.

"Honey… Gumbo! Come and feast like a Princess" he smiled as the aroma of the food drifted into her bedroom. She closed over her computer and smiled, welcome for the distraction from all the mayhem and murder. This was one of her favourites.

"Coming dad" she replied, a guilty knot starting to form in her stomach. It didn't feel natural keeping secrets from him. Tonight it was just the two of them.

"So… Wallace tells me that you broke up with Duncan?" he asked carefully as he passed her a fresh piece of buttered bread, these relationship talks with her dad were always a little awkward, but she appreciated that he tried.

"Yes… Meg Manning is pregnant…" she revealed and watched his face widen in sympathy and surprise. She didn't have to keep him in the dark about everything, and this was as good an excuse as any.

"Oh honey… I am so sorry to hear that.. are you ok?" he enquired. She knew he thought this was why she had 's _pent the night at Mac's'_ but finally this was a question she could answer truthfully.

"About the break up yes… about Meg and the Pregnancy… no. I just feel so guilty… the bus crash…" she said tearing up a little. She and Meg had been close before the whole mess during the summer before Aaron Echolls arrest.

"Veronica… it's called survivors guilt, but it's not your fault what happened to those kids" he affirmed and she nodded silently. But it was… in more ways than her father could ever understand.

"I just really hope we get the people who did this" she swore.

"We will" Keith Mars promised, regarding his daughter. She was stronger than any person despite her young age ever had the right to be. He flickered his gaze over to the television for a moment, it was on mute but the headline caught his eye right away. He seemed a little shocked and Veronica turned to see the news as her father lifted the remote to turn on the volume.

"CEO of Casablanca's Enterprises Inc. Richard H Casablanca's and his wife have been found murdered at his home… high school Teacher Mr Stanley Nelson Pope has also been found dead at the property after allegedly breaking into the household and shooting them both dead while they were in the guest house of their home before being shot and killed himself by their son, Cassidy Casablanca's who had been returning home at the time… more on this story as it unfolds"

Mr Stanley Nelson Pope… her Future Business Leaders of America club leader. She had just been in his class yesterday…

Veronica dropped her fork in shock, suddenly she had no appetite.

 _What the hell had been in those pictures?_


	27. Chapter 27

"Hey… did you watch the news?" Veronica asked hurriedly as she paced around her bedroom.

"Yeah… Dick is a mess…Have you any idea what is going on? I can't get a hold of Cassidy" Logan replied as he watched Dick crumpled on the floor in front of the television sobbing. Part of the problem with being the child of a celebrity in Neptune, California was that the information about tragedies like this often ended up on the news before you ever got to hear about it from the authorities. Logan had found out about his mother Lynn Echolls abandoned car and suicide while he had been at a drive through with friends getting something to eat and the announcement came through the radio.

That broadcast still haunted him, so he knew exactly how Dick must be feeling right now.

Kendall Casablanca's was dead, so was Richard Casablanca's… and it was their teacher? Logan had a hard time picturing their friendly Economics teacher Mr Pope randomly going to the Casablanca's house and killing someone.

"I called Leo, Cassidy is in the Sheriff's Department giving a statement, but they need to get a hold of Dick, he's a minor, his mother is still in Europe" Veronica explained.

"Dick's pretty drunk right now… and I can't drive, they took my license" he informed her quietly, he felt sick.

 _This was so screwed up… Beaver was only 16 years old and he had had to kill someone. His own teacher… he had watched his father be murderered._

"Get a pot of coffee into him… I'll come and pick him up" she told him as she closed down her laptop and slid it into her bag.

"Taking him to the Sheriff's Office… is that such a good idea right now? We don't know what he will say" Logan cautioned.

"We don't have a choice, we need to get someone down there to be with Cassidy…" she sighed helplessly. _Why was this happening?_ Veronica had a feeling the answers were in the laptop but she didn't know how it all fit together. "Maybe we could send Duncan?" she offered, they had to meet, compare notes. The more eyes she had on this the better.

Logan stiffened at the sound of Duncan's name, he hadn't told Veronica about his recent encounter with his former best friend yet.

 _"She is going to die because of you… it will be something.. another drive by, another knife fight.. another mess you get yourself into… you should have just stayed away…"_

Duncan's words seared through his mind again. Now three more people were dead. There was a much larger pattern here but he couldn't see all of it, and he couldn't exactly help with the investigation while he was under house arrest.

"Maybe…" Logan answered, his voice was low and careful.

"I'm on my way over now, I'll see you in like 20 minutes" she replied as she pulled on her coat.

"Be careful" he told her as he looked at the clock on the wall. 8.45pm.

"I will.. Bye, I love you" she replied as she hung up.

"Bye.." Logan said into the empty dial tone. She threw those words around casually with him now after last night, at least he would be getting to see her soon. He looked at his friend curled on the floor with his arms wrapped around his legs, his blond hair messy and ruffled around his face, sobbing. "Dick?" he said softly as he approached him on the floor.

His friend didn't respond, he just kept staring at the television footage of the bodies being wheeled from the house wrapped in white sheets and strapped to gurneys. Logan had never felt more helpless than he did right now, he wanted to stop the world from turning and shield his friend from these horrors, it was like watching a slow moving traffic accident from the perfect vantage point but being too far away to do anything but watch it happen. From the day of his parents meeting, to growing up in the public eye and the footage of his murdered Girlfriend Lilly Kane and even his own Mothers suicide… Logan's life had been caught on camera, every significant moment had been available for instant replay. These images would be burned into Dick's mind forever, and he was powerless to spare him from it.

"It was Mr Pope man… the guy wears sweater vests for gods sakes!" he sobbed. Logan knew what he meant.. but appearances could be deceiving, he knew this from personal experience. His father may have been abusive at home, and when Logan really thought to think about it, he had no doubt in his mind that he had really been the one to kill Lilly Kane, but to the rest of the world, he was A List Movie Star, Charity Starter and all round Hollywood nice guy.

"Veronica is coming over to take you to see Beaver" Logan informed him softly, handing him a bottle of water. He should probably have him change his shirt, he had spilled most of the taco dip over himself when they had received the call from Veronica to check out the news.

"Oh God… he could've killed Beave dude… that's my little brother…" Dick cried, rocking back and forth. Only 6 hours ago he had been telling Dick about Kendalls true identity and how they suspected that the bus crash had been an assassination attempt. They had found out from Veronica that Dick and Beaver were worth more alive than dead. "I don't even know how to start looking for a lawyer… or funerals… or… what am I going to do?" he asked weakly.

"I know a lawyer… not a good one, but I can get you the number… have you called your mom yet?" Logan asked softly. He looked at Dicks phone which was ringing silently on the couch.

"No… I should probably do that…." He sobbed as he picked up the phone. "Beave! I'm coming buddy… just… are you okay?" he asked his voice was hoarse.

"Yeah… I'm a little shaken up.. the Sheriff keeps trying to ask me all these questions" Cassidy replied nonchalantly.

"Well, just don't say anything… I'm getting you a lawyer" he said finally as he looked at Logan.

Logan went and rummaged through his contacts for the business card of Cliff McCormack and started to ring the number.

"Are you in trouble again already? Did we not have this conversation about you staying out of Trouble Mr Echolls?" Cliff scolded as he answered the phone. He sounded irritated.

"It's not for me… have you seen the news?" Logan questioned carefully, it sounded like he had interrupted a party.

"Which part? The Jungle Tribe who worship Trumps Hair or this business about the triple homicide in the 90909?" Cliff retorted sarcastically.

"My best friends kid brother is Cassidy Casablanca's… he's at the Sheriff's Office… I don't know who his family law firm are.. could you please just help us out with Sheriff Lamb until we get more information from his Mother?" Logan asked, he was worried. Cassidy was only 16 years old, he was like a little brother to Logan, he knew from his own experience how horrible being interrogated could be.

"I suppose I could come down and review the case, reach out to some of my contacts and check who is usually in charge of the Casablanca's business affairs" Cliff suggested as he sighed.

"You can bill me for any extra charges you need.. thank you Cliff" Logan said gratefully.

"Don't thank me just now… I haven't heard any of the details yet" he replied dryly as he took down some more information from Logan about the case before he took Cassidy's number and the two men hung up.

"Mom?" Dick sobbed as she answered the phone.

"Dick? Baby? What time is it?" she groaned sleepily.

"Mom… something bad's happened…. Dad is dead" he explained quietly.


	28. Chapter 28

"Where are you going?" Keith Mars asked as he turned from the dishes in the sink to see Veronica standing with her back on the arm of the striped arm chair, checking her belongings. He looked curiously at his 18 year old daughter who had packed her small bag and grabbed her car keys. "Veronica?" he pressed again.

"Cassidy is in the Sheriff's station, I am meeting Duncan down there" she explained quickly. It was close enough to the truth that she hoped he wouldn't hear the panic in her voice. Her father was a brilliant detective and an expert in reading human body language, hopefully he would just think the nerves building inside her were because of the murderers on the news and not because of the fear beginning to grow inside her as her prime suspect had just been wiped from the board.

"Okay… but why are you going?" he frowned, confused. She had told her father not 20 minutes prior that she and Duncan had just broken up.

"Cassidy had me working on a case before all…" she said pointing at the television screen whose headlines were still screaming about the triple homicide in the 09er estate in Renly Park. "That… it was about his Step Mom…" she explained evasively.

"Honey… it's going to be a media circus out there, you shouldn't be involving yourself with all of this" he advised. "If you think this case is connected, you should really wait to consult with Cliff on this" he warned.

"I have to take Dick to see his brother" Veronica elaborated. "He's been drinking and he can't drive himself, I am just helping out a friend" she promised.

"You seem very upset, perhaps I should drive you instead? Where is he perhaps I can…?" he offered as he reached for his coat.

"No!" she said quickly. "I am fine… there is no need.. thanks for dinner, don't wait up for me okay? I'll call you when I know more later." she continued as she reached for the door and quickly bolted from the kitchen towards her car.

"Are you sure honey?" Keith Mars called after her as she made her way along the balcony. He didn't like to admit it to himself, but she was keeping something from him. She had been this way with him once before, during their game of spy vs spy and the Lilly Kane murder investigation. She hadn't answered the phone when he had called the other night from San Diego unexpectedly, he had let it go thinking she must have just been asleep, but her bed hadn't been slept in, she had allegedly slept at a friend's last night then this evening she had come home wearing clothes which she didn't own. She was lying to him and he really needed to understand why.

He picked up the phone and dialled the McKenzie household, after a few rings Mac's mother answered.

"Hi.. Crystal?" he said pleasantly.

"Oh hello Keith" she smiled down the phone.

"Sorry to bother you so late… I was just looking for Mac.. I mean Cindy, Veronica said she left her computer over with her yesterday while she was staying over at your house…? Would it be possible for me to call over later and pick it up?" he asked politely.

"Oh Keith.. I am so sorry… Veronica wasn't here last night.. CINDY?" Crystal MacKenzie told him.

"Yes Mom?" Mac called back.

"Have you seen Veronica?" she asked.

"At school today.. yes…" Mac replied carefully.

"I am sorry Keith, we don't have her computer here… but Mac says she was at school today… do you want me to call the PTA Red Team and ask around if anyone has seen her?" she asked. The PTA Red Team was an 09er Phone Tree initiative set up by the PTA at the Neptune High School after the murder of Lilly Kane to try and help parents to keep better tabs on their kids.

"No… that's okay, thank you though. I must have been mistaken, she will be home from work soon anyways, I spoke to her not that long ago.. she must have meant her friend Max" he answered cheerfully. "Sorry to have disturbed you"

"No problem. Good Night Keith" Crystal replied and he hung up the phone.

Veronica had lied to him, he knew it was an invasion of her privacy, but given the nature of their work and everything that had happened to them in recent months, he couldn't stop himself. He went to his own computer and pulled up the cell phone records of the family plan and traced the last few numbers she had been dialling and receiving for the last 48 hours. He began to type the numbers into the database registry, the usual numbers, work, his own, a few calls made to the hospital ward where Meg Manning was staying, a few to and from Duncan Kane. Wallace and Veronica had made several calls that day to one another… then he saw it.

Several calls made to her voicemail box late last evening. He knew he shouldn't but he picked up the house phone and dialled the voicemail access code, they had it set up so that she could record audio to her voicemail of confessions during her stakeouts that he could access from her voicemail later.

He didn't usually do it to invade her privacy, there were some parts of a daughter's life where ignorance was bliss, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was important. There was murder involved and he was a parent, it was his job to protect her that is how he rationalized his behaviour anyway.

"Hey Jodies Pizza? My name is Roy Caffelette, I got a golden ticket through my door… can someone call me back on 555-589-554 to arrange where I can collect my prize money?" the first voicemail said. It was from an old case last week, a guy had been ripping off local businesses by pretending to be a courier and taking the high end packages and selling them up on the Mile Marker 15.

"Hey Its Wallace, did you mean the red or the blue wires?" he asked.

"Sup V? Listen I need to talk to you about that whole Curly situation" Eli Navarro's voice said.

 _Who was Curly.. and why was his daughter messed up with the leader of a motorcycle gang?_

"Hi.. Its me" Logan Echolls voice announced and Keith Mars felt his teeth grinding so hard they would break. "I don't know where you are… I need to talk to you about something… can you please call me back?" Keith was just about to restart the message to replay the time and date again. "I love you" He threw the phone back against the counter.

Logan Echolls.

Son of Movie Star Aaron Echolls, the Murderer of Lilly Kane.

He had been less than thrilled when he had found out from Sheriff Lamb when he had been arrested under the suspicion of his girlfriend a few months ago, Logan had been in trouble for causing a series of Bum Fights, and he had bullied and harassed Veronica for months prior to his arrest for the fatal stabbing of Felix Toomes.

He may not have been guilty of that, but he had been guilty of leading a vigilante team of 09ers to vandalise their property when they had first moved into the Sunset Apartment Complex. Veronica had dated him most of the summer and Keith hadn't really said much, he wanted to give the kid the benefit of the doubt, his mother Lynn Lester had been a friend of Keith's while they had been at school together. He had tried to be supportive of her choices, the media circus around the Felix Toomes trial had been a fiasco. Reporters had been hounding them at the Mars Investigations Office because of the Aaron Echolls arrest.. but every time Keith looked at the boy, he just saw the same similarities to his father. The same violent streak. That same anger. There were just some qualities that money and fame couldn't pave over.

Keith had lost it when Logan had begun to yell at his daughter the night she had tried to break it off with Logan and he had responded by snapping at her and broke a lamp in their living room. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so rough with a 17 year old boy who was in the middle of having his heart broken, but he had made Veronica swear that she would have no more contact with him. He had shoved him against the wall and almost broke his arm that night. Keith Mars may have not been much compared to Logan's 6ft, but he was a seasoned crime fighting professional, trained with years of wrangling bail jumpers and meth head lunatics into the back of police cars.

He scrolled down to her last call.

Logan Echolls. As smart and talented as his daughter was… he forgot sometimes that she was still just a teenage girl.

Furiously he grabbed his car keys and jacket and headed to drive to the Echolls Estate.


	29. Chapter 29

Logan pulled Veronica to him and kissed her, slipping his arms around her waist and held her closer to him, pressing her against the door. He explored her mouth hungrily and he was rewarded by a little moan as she glided her fingers into his hair.

"Hey…" he whispered as he cupped her face.

"Where's Dick?" she asked softly. It wasn't exactly the most appropriate response given everything that was going on, but he pulled her body against him so she could feel him straining against his jeans, and flashed his eyebrows. Humour and sarcasm was his go to coping mechanism, he smoothed her blond hair from her face to look at her better.

"He's in the living room" he answered finally, his brown eyes bore into hers, there was a sadness there that she prayed she would never have to understand. The grief of someone who had lost their parent. She pulled him tighter to her and rested her head against his chest, they had to get to the bottom of this. She didn't want to lose anyone else.

"I called Duncan on the way over, he's getting his Dad's head of security to um get in contact with the Sheriff's office and assist with the investigation… because Cassidy is still a minor, I think they are trying to find out who counts as the guardian… I think they are trying to vet a few law firms for Cassidy" she said quietly. This was really beyond her usual capabilities; she didn't have much experience with funeral directors or how to find lawyers. This was stuff that parents usually dealt with… she realised just how much Logan had been dealing with in recent months and her heart ached at her naivety. His father was in prison, his mother was dead. Logan had had to organize his mother's funeral service and deal with the press during the reception, he had had to find his own lawyers after his arrest the first time for the Felix Toomes murder, he had had to navigate how to re-staff his home and deal with how to pay all the bills and school. She hadn't heard him complain about it any of it once. She felt terrible that she had been right there, but he had dealt with all of it alone. He was much more grown up than her in ways that she didn't fully understand just yet.

"You okay?" he asked as she got lost in her thoughts.

"I just didn't get it before… you are a much stronger person than I realized" she smiled sadly. _How many more parts of the life of the man she loved had she been blind to?_

He gave her a quizzical look and she reached up and kissed him again. It was tender and almost the balm he needed to soothe the echoes of Duncan's words from earlier.

 _"She's going to die because of you… you should have just stayed away…"_

Logan didn't want to admit it, but after the shootings tonight… he couldn't shake the doubts that Duncan was right. The ankle monitor was heavy around his leg and it was a constant reminder that he was at war with the PCHers, his father and the Balboa County Sheriff's Department.

"We are a team now Logan… from now on, we do this together… all of it" she swore as she wrapped her arms around his hands and stood on her tip toes to kiss him again.

 _"You are going to end up dragging her down with you… Another mess you get yourself into and she comes to the rescue to bail you out…"_ Duncan's voice tormented him.

He traced his thumb over her lower lip and looked into her bright blue eyes, she was his, the look in her gaze was one of pure trust and adoration. She loved him… he knew how deep her loyalties went for those that she truly loved.

He would never be able to live with himself if he was the reason she was killed.

 _"If you really loved her you would set her free"_

Logan knew now that Duncan was probably right… but he didn't have the strength to let her go now.

"If we do this again… I am not letting you go this time" he had told her a few nights ago before they had made love for the first time. He thought back to this morning, when she had been making breakfast, his hands on this very dress. No… he couldn't let her go. Memories of her straddling him as she cradled him against her breasts and he felt her body clenched tightly around him while he gasped her name filtered into his thoughts. No… He wouldn't.

 _Did that make him the most selfish bastard that he knew?_

"Yeah… we are a team.." he told her emphatically, swallowing against the hard lump in his throat, she smiled and gave his hand a little squeeze as she turned from him and walked slowly into the living room to see Dick.

Logan felt like such a coward… he should be doing the right thing… he should be walking away.

"Dick?" she said softly as she wrapped her arms around Dick Casablanca's whom was been sitting at the Kitchen counter and pulled him closer.

"Ronnie… what am I going to do?" he sobbed and the pain in his voice stabbed Logan in the heart.

"I'm so sorry…" she said as she rubbed his back. Her cell phone rang and she put her bag onto the counter, reaching inside, it was a call from Duncan Kane, her ex-boyfriend.

"Hey… what's the latest?" she asked quickly.

"I'm here with Cassidy… that Lawyer Logan sent is here now too, we are just about to go in and talk to Sheriff Lamb… apparently Dick's dad was involved in some kind of real estate fraud… Cassidy had asked Mr Pope for advice about some pictures… and then he showed up ranting and raving at the house and pulled a gun. Cassidy didn't get to his dads revolver in time before both Kendall and Mr Casablanca's were dead. He had to turn the gun on Mr Pope or he would have been dead himself" Duncan told her.

"Oh my god…" Veronica swore. It had been well known amongst the FBLA club that Mr Pope had invested heavily in Casablanca's enterprises for his 401K this year.

"Yeah I know… listen… tell Dick I'll see him soon, Sheriff Lamb wants to talk to him so he's sending a car up to the Echolls house to get him" he replied.

"Okay.. thanks Duncan" she answered before she hung up.

"Duncan?" Logan asked as he poured a cup of coffee, biting back his jealousy. _Her White Knight strikes again…_ he thought bitterly. He was frustrated at feeling so incapacitated right now because of this ankle monitor.

"Yeah… Cassidy took those pictures to Mr Pope.. seems he turned up at the house looking for answers… he had a gun… Cassidy had to put him down, but he didn't get there on time" she said carefully, mindful not to give away too many details, she didn't want Dick having to overhear too much. "Lamb is sending a car to pick you up" she told him gently.

Dick nodded and took the black coffee that Logan gave him, he had sobered a lot in the last half hour.

"Is that your door?" Veronica asked as she heard something pounding coming from down the hallway.

Logan frowned and looked at the clock, it usually took about forty minutes for the Sheriff's Department to make it to his house. He wandered into the hallway and opened the door, taken by surprise when he was greeted by Keith Mars' fist cracking him across the face, he staggered a few feet and Keith followed him inside.

"I thought I told you to stay away from her?" he snapped. "It's like you don't respect authority"

"Dad?" Veronica called as she heard his voice, running past the kitchen island to look down the hallway.

Logan was wiping blood from his nose and trying to get back onto his feet, her father had grabbed him by the collar.

"Daddy no!" she screamed, running and putting herself between them. Logan was still recovering from his altercation with Duncan at school, he probably had a few broken ribs, but he hadn't been to get them checked out yet.

"Get out of the way Veronica.." Keith warned.

"NO! You get out of the way…" she snapped firmly.

"What?" he spluttered, finally looking at her as she shielded Logan.

"Listen.. Mr Mars… I'm sorry…" Logan told him as he cradled his busted lip.

"You don't have to be Sorry… my father was just leaving" Veronica corrected, standing her ground like a territorial pit-bull. She may have been petite, but she was not moving.

"No.. we are leaving" Keith snapped.

"No.. I am not" she snarled right back.

"I am your father Veronica… you will do as you are told" he scolded.

"And I am 18 now! If I decide I am staying… then I am staying… don't make me choose daddy.. because right now… it won't end well" she warned and her father's face fell.

"You don't mean that.." Keith retorted. Veronica felt like she was being torn in two.

"I do.. now I don't know how you found me… actually I can probably guess.. I should have used a disposable right?" she commented sarcastically. The guilty look in her fathers eyes confirmed it. He had snooped through her telephone records, he had spied on her.

"Honey…" Keith pleaded.

"Good bye dad" she snapped pointing towards the door.

"Look Veronica… I don't want to come between you and your dad.." Logan protested as he watched the argument helplessly.

"You should have thought of that before you started sneaking around with my daughter behind my back" Keith snapped at him. "I told you to stay away from her!"

"There is a lot more to this than you understand dad… now go!" she spat as she shoved him backwards towards the door. They stood like that for several minutes and Logan watched helplessly as Veronica squared off in a battle of wills against her dad.

"I won't tell you again.." Veronica snapped fiercely. She didn't want to have to choose… but she knew now she wasn't going to let anything come between her and Logan again.. not even her relationship with her father.

"Veronica.. maybe you two should…" Logan offered.

"I am not leaving" she said through gritted teeth and Logan watched as Keith slowly nodded and turned on his heels to go back to his car.

Logan's heart was racing, and his jaw ached, he was ruining her life… Veronica's relationship with Keith Mars was the stuff of legends, even when the entire world had turned on Keith Mars, Veronica had stayed faithful, stayed loyal, she had gone through whatever hell the 09ers could concoct to stay with her dad. Logan knew how much that was.. because he had been the main cause of it. Now here she was turning her back on the most important person in her life.. to be with him.

"Veronica…" Logan pleaded, he couldn't be responsible for this.

"I am **NOT** leaving…" she promised stubbornly as she turned and kissed him. "I am not letting **you** go this time"


	30. Chapter 30

Song for this scene: Picture This– Never Change.

Deputy's Briar and Owens showed up about fifteen minutes after Keith Mars had left and took Dick Casablanca's with them to the Sheriff's Department, Logan had barely spoken as Veronica had picked up her computer and started to review the pictures from the Real Estate catalogue from their FBLA pamphlets and compared them to the hotel properties that were in the surveillance pictures from her three days following Kendall. He watched as she flicked through the images, trying to understand what she could possibly be thinking?

"Veronica…" he said finally breaking the silence as he put the ice pack back onto the kitchen counter.

"I am not going anywhere…" she told him firmly.

"I can't be the reason you fight with your dad" he pleaded.

"You aren't" she sighed as she looked up from the screen and smiled a little. "This is my choice… it's about time that him and Wallace and Duncan started listening to me instead of trying to make my decisions for me" she declared.

"Dick told you?" Logan sighed.

"About Duncan's little tirade? Yea he mentioned it" she confirmed as she walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Maybe he has a point Veronica… I'm no good for you" he said quietly.

"Then don't think of it like that.. I am good for you.. I love you Logan Echolls. I am not leaving you" she promised.

"How can you stay with me?" he asked. He still had to push against his ribs so make sure the pain would convince him the last few days had been real.

"Well… you do have this very talented way of pinning me down.." she flirted as she moved his hands to her breasts.

"You trying to tell me you are only with me for my body?" he teased, as he felt her nipples hard against the soft coral fabric.

"You have no idea how important you are to me, and I have no idea how to explain it to you" she whispered as she tugged on his belt. Logan felt his pulse quicken, someone who saw how messy, how hard to handle and moody he could be, how much of a train wreck his life was and stayed? That was love. It was the kind of love he had always craved.

 _To hell with Keith Mars and Duncan Kane._ Logan was going to keep her, she was his he thought possessively as he stood up from his seat and spun her so she was facing the counter, her back to him.

"I think I have an idea" he murmured as he ran his hands along her thighs and up under the dress grabbing hold of her panties and pulling them down over her ass. He rubbed a finger against her clitoris and held her against him while he played with her, she gasped in surprise and he kissed her neck, she was pinned between him and the counter top. He felt like he was possessed. "I love you Veronica" he confessed. "I wouldn't know how to walk away from this now if I tried"

There it was the truth that haunted them both. She traced her fingers along his arm and turned her head to look into his brown eyes. Her lips brushed against his and she whimpered a little when he slid his finger inside her.. "Are you ever not _so_ wet around me?" he sighed next to her ear, his breath was hot against her neck.

"I've had to take a lot of cold showers…" she confessed, her breathing was heavy and she gripped the counter top, she could feel her toes curling. "Christ Logan…." She swore as he spread her legs a little and rubbed her clitoris again.

"So you think about me a lot?" he smiled, kissing her cheek. It was amusing to him how easily she could be interrogated when he teased her like this; usually it was her tormenting him with random left field questions.

"Yes…" Veronica admitted.

"I'm going to confess Veronica.. the thought of you naked and pining away for me in the shower… it makes me little disappointed you never came over…" Logan teased, kissing her neck, he felt her begin to twitch around his fingers. "I've wanted you for so long…" he sighed as she cried out, throwing her head back against his shoulder. If she wasn't leaving… it meant he would be able to wake up with her tomorrow morning.

 _If she'd known what she had been missing…_ she thought as she bent over the counter, a little dizzy from the explosion of sensations between her legs.

"Logan…?" she gasped as he took his hands away for a moment, she heard him unbuckling his jeans and then his hands gripped her hips and he delved himself into her, filling her, he was so large in this position and she had to step up onto the wooden bar on the chair beside her to stop him from lifting her off the floor completely.

"Sorry Sugarpuss, I couldn't wait this time" he groaned as he held her against him and began to thrust eagerly. She panted helplessly, pinned between his thrusts as he pounded into her and the cool marble kitchen counter top. Were they so deliriously starving for each other now they couldn't even stop to take their clothes off anymore? Her petite body clenched around him and he inhaled sharply, he kissed her neck, his hands gripping her inner thighs, propping her up a little.

 _Yes.. he really was a selfish bastard._ Logan would sell his soul for this.

Her warm wet body gripping his shaft while she moaned his name, sweat running down her back as her heart raced as he fucked her. Hot, passionate, crazy wild sex, of course… but it was more than that.

She was his home… if home was where the heart is.. his belonged to her. She could ask anything of him and he would break himself to do it. He remembered the day he first looked into her eyes outside the Camelott when she had kissed him shyly and he had felt his entire world flip. _The best relationships often start unexpectedly_ his grandfather had told him once. Falling in love with her had been beyond his control.

He gasped as he felt her body begin to spasm around him, he lost count of the amount of times he had watched her orgasm but it never ceased to be gratifying. Thank god he had no staff here.. they could be as loud as they wanted. What he had with her… he didn't ever want with anyone else. He grew very still as he came deep inside her, his head resting against her shoulder and she continued her little aftershocks and he pulled away from her, helping to pick her up onto the seat beside them.

They both breathed heavily.

"That was intense.." she told him shakily as he looked at her flushed cheeks, running his hand through his hair and nodded in agreement.

"You are pretty much, basically, kind of, sorta always on my mind" He confessed.

"Wearing knee socks…" she teased.

"Particularly at Christmas… do you remember last year before the Poker game.. when your dad had you working at the mall in that Elf uniform?" Logan admitted as he pulled up his trousers and stepped closer to her.

"You remember that?" Veronica asked incredulously. The Neptune Mall had been convinced that some of the seasonal Christmas staff had been secretly shoplifting things from the parent's shopping bags when the kids went in to visit Santa, and Veronica had been sent in undercover in a ridiculously revealing Elf outfit complete with candy cane style red and white stockings. Logan had been dating that Bimbo Kayla at the time and they had taken her little brother to the Mall to see Santa, he had also "accidentally" poured his ice water over her costume and left her soaking wet for almost an hour while she stood in the line trying to get the money shot.

"I should have been throwing that ice drink over myself… I think I have a picture of you dressed like that somewhere in my old phone.." he admitted.

"Logan!" she scolded and gave him a playful slap on the shoulder.

"What? It's not my fault you are so hot… and that I've always been a little crazy for you" he confessed. Even when he had tried his best to hate her.

"Or that you are such a festive perv?" she grinned.

"I am… but what do you say we continue this in my room? It's been a long day.. I've missed you" he said cupping her face and kissing her.

"You… are such.. a Ho.. Ho… Ho…" she said in between his kisses as he picked her up and carried her towards his bedroom.

*****Have a good holiday folks. I'm going to give this story a wee break until after boxing day… thought I'd leave it on a little high note for the festive season*****


	31. Chapter 31

Slow Hands by Niall Horan played on the ipod beside them as Logan gasped as he continued to thrust into Veronica's tight body, marvelling in the moist wet warmth of her as she clenched around his shaft, her legs were circled around his waist, her ankles resting against his lower back her arms pinned above her head as he clamped them down with one hand, she moaned his name again, her eyes widening as he began to thrust deeper and harder this time.

 _How could he possibly still have this stamina?_ she thought.

Classes at Neptune High School had been cancelled for the day due to the murder of Richard and Kendall Casablanca's and grief counselling was available for those who felt they needed it due to the death of Mr Pope, Economics teacher and tutorial investment advisor for the Future Business Leaders of America Club.

His other hand cupped her petite breast and caressed it, he felt her body quiver beneath him, she was lost in a wordless cry of pleasure again. He felt so possessive of her, no one else should ever see this side of her… this moment was his.

"Oooohhh I don't think I could ever get enough of this" he smiled as he looked down at his petite blond captive.

She bit her lip and wriggled against his hand holding her imprisoned beneath him, it drove her crazy when he restricted her like this, she loved to explore his muscled torso with her hands, to run her fingers over his shoulders and in his hair, to pull him closer to her and nibble his ear lobe and kiss his neck, to whisper how good he felt inside her in his ear, it always gave him goose bumps feeling her breath so close to his neck but this was retaliation for her tormenting him with her tongue earlier, he had woken up to find that she had cuffed his hands to his bedpost and she had woken him that morning by taking him into her mouth and she had stroked and teased him for almost an hour before she had straddled his hips and refused to let him set the pace, she had rode him torturously slowly and he had been a writhing and sweating wreck by the time she had eventually allowed him to come.

He refused to let her out of the bed now until he had his revenge, she had brought this on herself he mused. If only we had figured out how much more fun it was to get their own back on each other this way last year… it could have been so much more fun.. he thought as he recalled all the pranks they used to play on each other. From him letting the air out of her tires to her hiding bongs and dead fish in his locker and gym bag.

"Oh God…" he half groaned-half growled as she began to twitch and spasm around his cock, he felt her grip him tighter and her breath quickened, she sometimes got this little panicked look in her eyes like she was about become untethered as the sensations became too much for her and the only thing that was keeping her anchored in place was his body on hers, her breath caught in her throat and her blue eyes connected with his, wide eyed in desperation as her hips gyrated in time with his. He released her hands and her arms reached around his waist, her legs wrapped tighter and she clung to him as she cried out helplessly. _Was there any better view in the world than the one right beneath him right now?_

"Come for me…" he whispered as he kissed her lips her body responding to his every push as he delved deeper, feeling fuller each time. He was deliriously content as he felt her orgasm again, her nipples hard against his palms, it continued for several minutes, massaging the length of him as he was buried deep inside her and eventually her legs went a little limp around his waist and her head fell back against the mattress in a weak stupor. He was still hard and thrusting in and out of her slowly, careful not to put too much of his weight against her, he ran a hand down her thigh and gathered up her legs behind their knees and spread her legs a little wider.

She cried out his name again as the slight change in position made his pelvis run against her public bone and rub along her clitoris, she buried a hand in her blond hair and stared powerlessly at the ceiling. He grinned at her in satisfaction.

"Didn't expect me to have this kind of endurance, huh Bobcat?" he chuckled, Christ he was so turned on. He loved that he could affect her this much. She shook her head a little and he kissed her again, taking one of his hands away to cup her face. "You drive me wild, you know that?" he admitted.

 _And you fuck me absolutely senseless…_ she thought weakly. Waking him up this morning with sex to get back at him for his teasing her with his tongue the night before had seemed like a good idea at the time… but it appeared sex was definitely one of his aptitudes. She had used her mouth and her hands to make him beg her to untie him and then she had used her body to make him cry out her name until he had come for her, she had felt confident that she had gotten her own back after his little stunt in the kitchen last night when he had fucked her against the counter but as much as her feminine charms had managed to seduce him this morning… he was still too talented at turning her into a quivering doll vulnerable to his touch.

He was dangerous… this control he had.. this ability to make her act like a drug addict.. How would she ever be able to say no to him? They could play these games with each other all day now she was practically moving in after her argument with her father Keith Mars. His brown eyes stared at her in fascination and he licked his lips a little and he gasped again as she clamped down on him harder. _Kegels definitely paid off…_

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen…." He whispered.

Why couldn't it just be like this always? Logan thought as he cupped her face. Nothing but time for him to worship her body and make her cry out his name. The ankle monitor on his leg getting caught in the sheets reminding him that he knew that soon they would have to stop and start going through the evidence she had collected, she would have to call back Duncan to see what he had discovered from Cassidy about the shootings last night. He would have to help Dick deal with flight arrangements for his mother to organise their father and stepmothers funeral.

He groaned as she gripped onto his ass and began to move her hips in a little figure 8 motion, moving her hips until she was writhing beneath him taking over the pace.

"Veronica.." he warned as he felt the first few shivers as he began to lose control.

"What's the matter?" Veronica purred as she flashed her eyebrows suggestively at him, he slipped his arms under her shoulders and hugged her closer to him.

"You are such a tease…" he scolded, he couldn't maintain his rhythm when she kept pace with him like this.

"Your turn to come for me Logan…" she told him boldly, exhausted but eager to get her own back.

"Okay… we going to start keeping score?" he suggested he picked up the pace. "I see your naughty hips…. And I raise you…" he began he slipped a hand between then and rubbed her clitoris as she began to protest and he stifled it with a kiss. "This…" he chuckled. She would get her payback for this, he was sure of it he thought mesmerised by her talented mouth, who knew that tongue of hers was more than just witty? He couldn't wait.

"That's… not…. Oh god…. Fuck Logan!" she cursed as she moaned in pleasure "fair!"

"You started it" he winked as he rattled the cuffs still attached to the headboard.


	32. Chapter 32

Veronica sat in the Echolls family living room on the couch flicking through the property records and criminal histories of the various properties owned by the late Kendall Casablancas in her real name, Priscilla Banks and writing things down on the small whiteboard that Logan had managed to find in his mothers study. Aside from the strip club and the beauty parlour, there was a house… she had to go and find out more about what was at that house, hopefully before the incompetent Sheriff Lamb was helped by a half decent Deputy Sacks or Leo D'amato by uncovering Kendall's real identity, she would have to move fast if she wanted to find anything useful. The research task would have been a lot easier to accomplish if her attention wasn't constantly being drawn to pervert by Logan's unintentional distraction of twisting the pen around in his fingers while he skimmed over the information on the witness from Felix Toomes murder investigation. It was something he even did when they were in their classes, she had noticed him make this gesture probably a thousand times but now it was a problem… _Damn he had such nice hands… such strong talented.. long fingers… fingers that she'd like him to…_

"Please stop doing that" she scolded as she reached for the pen and put it down on the coffee table in front of them.

"Hmm?" he asked, confused.

"It's distracting" she blushed.

"What too shiny?" he laughed, cocking an eyebrow at her as she tried to hide her reaction behind her laptop screen, hinting at the plastic blue pen.

"It's just distracting" she told him and clicked over onto the malpractice site for their Plastic Surgeon. Time to change tactics for a bit, the crime reports for the Rusty Knot didn't have much more than the usual stuff and it would only be a matter of time before her dad removed her usernames and passwords from the search permissions for the crime reports. Or changed his own.

"I'm not seeing anything useful here… it basically just says hes the salt of the Earth. Do you see the charity contributions here alone in his tax right offs? A Jury is going to love this guy" Logan sighed.

"There's going to be weak spot somewhere… a hole in his story… he wasn't there and we will find it" Veronica promised, rubbing a hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, his brown eyes smouldering into hers. He leaned forward and kissed her.

She really wanted this investigation to be over, to solve the murder of Felix Toomes, to get Weevil and the PCHers off their backs and to see Aaron Echolls get the death penalty for what he did to Lilly Kane, for killing her classmates on that bus. For leaving her friend Meg Manning and her unborn child stuck to a ventilator fighting for their survival. She just wanted this.. right now, this moment.

"I have to get to that house Logan" she told him, her blue eyes were determined, she knew he wouldn't want her to but he had to see reason this time.

"Veronica… no…" he scolded, putting the files down on the table and getting up from his chair.

"We are running out of time Logan… if Lamb finds out about Kendall.. and he will when the coroner starts filing reports and finds a death certificate for the REAL Kendall then we lose our chance" Veronica warned. He ran his hand through his brown hair and took a deep breath. He couldn't deny that she was right.

"You don't have to be the one to go" Logan warned her. "We could just take all the stuff we found to the authorities" he suggested.

"I would… but Danny Boyd is connected to the Fitzpatricks Logan" she told him pointing at the list of malpractice complaints on the registry.

"Who?" Logan asked, frowning.

"Dr Tom Griffths… involved in an unauthorised procedure for one Danny Boyd.. when we found out about Kendall/Priscilla and Cormac Fitzpatrick… I started a quick family tree, theres 13 of them, including our neighbourhood unfriendly bartender at the River Styxx Molly Fitzpatrick she's in our senior year, including four cousins on her mothers side, whose Maiden name is Aiofe Boyd… Danny Boyd's older sister, including Patrick and Thomas and Mary" She showed him, as she handed him the tablet she had been using to create the chart. "It's connected Logan… I don't know how or why but that is too big a coincidence" Veronica told him.

"My dad's trying to get me charged with Murder?" Logan spluttered.

"I don't know… we need more answers and I am pretty sure we will find them at that house" Veronica explained. "They kept it hidden for a reason… there's a bigger agenda here"

"Why would my dad want to kill Dick and Beaver?" Logan asked finally.

"They lied for you… Logan… if this is your dad… Dick and Cassidy lied for you the day of Lilly's murder… maybe its pay back?" Veronica suggested.

"Maybe… Have you spoken to Duncan this morning?" Logan asked, hinting at her phone.

"Not yet… I spoke to Wallace.. my dad's upset" she sighed. She was curled on the sofa in one of Logan's t-shirts and a pair of Trina's workout pants, but they were a little too long. It definitely wasn't Sleuth friendly attire. She had texted Wallace to ask him to bring some of her stuff over, she usually kept a Go bag ready packed in the bottom of her wardrobe encase she ever had to leave in a hurry. She thought about Backup… she missed him.

"So are you" Logan observed. He hated being the reason they weren't speaking, he hated being the cause of so much drama in her life.. but he couldn't quite bring himself to hate that she was here with him. He had forgotten how much he simply enjoyed having another person around the house, it reminded him how lonely he had been since Trina had left to avoid the media circus and try to sell her version of the Aaron Echolls story to the Lifetime Networks.

"It's not broken… we both just need some time" she reasoned. She and her father were so alike, she knew that he would forgive her.. its just the kind of person he was. Just like she would forgive him… it didn't mean that she wasn't going to change the pin code on her voicemails and use her disposable for the next few days. He nodded and walked into the kitchen. There was barely any edible food left and the Sunshine Cleaning Service would arriving soon to do their thing.

"We should probably take this stuff out to the Pool house.. they don't really tend to go out there" he suggested. Plus it's where they had installed his Safe Veronica had suggested he invest in during the summer that he had ordered so he could safe guard his most prized possessions encase the PCHers decided to show up some night and stole easily fenced valuables in retaliation. They had only shown up the night of his Life Short Party a few weeks back, and he had been glad of it. He suspected that some of his classmates had been taking things as souvenirs from Casa-de-Killer as the Echolls family estate and putting them on Ebay.

Some of his fathers movie props, like his Beyond the Breaking Point medallion had mysteriously found its way onto Ebay and Trina hadn't been in town for at least two months. Although given everything they had learned about Kendall Casablanca's.. perhaps he should have been keeping better tabs on all of the stuff in the house. Even his fathers which he hadn't given a damn about at the time.

"I never got your attachment to your dad before…" Logan admitted. "I guess it's because I hated mine… after Lilly… I couldn't understand why you would have chosen to side with him… but now I see it… it's because he loves you… you love him…" he stated simply as he leaned against the counter. He still hadn't fully forgiven himself for that year after Lilly's murder… for the way he had blamed Veronica for her death, for the hell he had put her through. For the way he had let her down when she thought she had been raped at Shelly Pomorys Party. He may not have been guilty of the Murder of Felix Toomes… but he was guilty of making her life worse.

 _"You should have just stayed away from both of them" Duncan's voice whispered again._

"He crawled through fire for me" Veronica smiled sadly, recalling the night her dad had rescued her from the fire when Aaron Echolls had tried to kill her for the location of the tapes.

"Do you want to order something?" Logan suggested as he picked up the menu list he had been collecting in recent months, no chef usually meant he had to get creative.

"We could do a grocery shop online?" Veronica replied as she got up from her seat and walked to the counter to stand beside him. He smiled a little when he saw how long the legs in the jogging bottoms were, she barely needed slippers, only her toes were visible. He wrapped his arms around her waist and stood behind her, his head leaning against her shoulder. Veronica shuddered as she remembered the previous evening when he had taken her from behind in a similar positon and he was currently pointing out items on the grocery list using those long fingers to point at the screen.

 _Damn these hormones and their happy little dance…._ She thought as she tried to stop herself from getting distracted. Who knew his dorky little hand gestures would have this effect on her?

"I'm going to make us dinner tonight" Veronica told him as she started putting items in the basket and flickered through the menus for ideas.

"A proper home cooked meal… I don't think there's been one of those in this kitchen since the night my dad tried to feed me shellfish" Logan mused.

"Aren't you allergic?" she frowned, looking at him sideways.

"Yep… but he never knew that" Logan admitted, and Veronica felt something in her heart break for him. For all their privilege and all their wealth… for all the guest bedrooms and features of the expensive mansion, Logan had never had a home. Not a real one anyway. Not one that counted. It made her even more grateful for Keith Mars and his devotion to being her dad. She turned around and hugged him, pulling him closer and kissing his mouth. He moaned happily and chuckled a little as she yelped a bit as his cold hands reached up under the green t shirt she was wearing and cupped her breast. "Sorry… my hands are little chilly" he smiled.

"Your hands… have been distracting me all day" she admitted as she grabbed his wrist and pulled the wandering appendages back down from under her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra and the outline of her pert breasts and hard nipples were peeking through the top. He flashed his eyebrows at her again and smiled suggestively.

"I know… you have been flustered for about the last twenty minutes" Logan told her knowingly.

"How could you possibly know that?" she protested.

"Because you get this little crinkle just here and you look like you want to slap me when you start thinking about sex" he laughed, rubbing a little spot on her forehead with his thumb and kissing her again. "I've become somewhat of an expert at picking up at the signs of when something is getting to you" he admitted. Truth was, he had been mapping out every single little thing about her, committing her to memory. There wasn't a single detail that he wanted to miss.

"That sounds a little overconfident" she mused.

"Nope.. it's a skill I have honed over many years… mostly to aid my ability to a complete pain in the ass" he confessed.

"If I am cooking in here we are not having sex in the kitchen" Veronica warned him as she turned away again and completed the purchase for the groceries.

"Well then we can order in…" Logan suggested as he tickled her ribs.

"Hey stop…!" she giggled before the doorbell rang through the house. Someone was at the front door.

"Expecting someone?" Veronica asked.

"Please tell me its not your dad…" Logan stiffened, the last time he had answered the door someone had punched him in the face.

"I'll get it" she told him as she hinted that he should hide the files sitting on the coffee table.

Veronica went to the front door and was surprised to see Deputy Leo D'amato and Deputy Ryan's standing there.

"Deputy?" she asked carefully.

"Is Logan Echolls here?" he asked shyly.

"What's the problem officer?" Logan asked as he checked time and date on his phone calendar, he wasn't due for his check in at the station for another two days.

"Can you tell us where you were last night between midnight and two am?" he asked.

"Can't you just check the ankle monitor?" Logan frowned hinting at the black instrument wrapped around his ankle.

"According to our systems… it's been tampered with" he frowned and looked pointedly at Veronica. "It's possible its been sending a false signal and that someone has manipulated the GPS, we need to take you with us to download it and check the device"

"Tampered with how?" Veronica complained as she watched Leo get his cuffs from his belt.

"This is an official matter now, I am sorry Veronica, I have to take him in" Leo sighed.

"No!" she protested. "We were here all night last night"

"We?" Deputy Sacks asked.

"Yes, both of us" she confirmed.

"Don't these things have like an alert or something?" Logan argued, he was sure it said something about 24 hour monitoring.

"After 11pm last night it seems there was some systems trouble" Deputy Sacks explained.

"What kind of systems trouble?" Veronica asked.

"Half of Neptune went dark" Leo told her.

"Okay… but why is that a problem?" Veronica asked again, arresting Logan certainly seemed to be a bit of an extreme reaction.

"Because one of other PCHers who made statements at Logan's hearing, Havier "Shiv" Alonso showed up about six miles outside of town shot dead in the back of Logan's car" Leo explained.

"Logan doesn't have his car… it was at the impound lot" Veronica reasoned.

"Yeah well the gun found in the car had Logan's fingerprints all over it" Leo sighed.

"A gun?" Veronica shrieked. Logan paled visibly. He was being set up again and they both knew it. Another dead PCHer?

"You have the right to remain silent.." Deputy Sacks began as he pulled Logan forward and began to clip the cuffs on him.

"Veronica… don't…" Logan warned as she began to try and block the door.

"Leo…. He wasn't there!" Veronica swore.

"I'm sorry Veronica" he replied simply as they led Logan from the house and into the back of the police car.

"Hello?" a quiet voice asked, it sounded like she was somewhere trying to be hushed.

"Mac?" Veronica said as her friend answered the phone.

"Veronica?" she replied.

"Mac…. I really need your help" Veronica told her, tears streaming down her face.


	33. Chapter 33

"You are baking?" Mac asked as she looked up from her laptop.

"She does that when she's nervous" Wallace explained. The both of them had arrived about forty five minutes after the Balboa Country Deputy's had left with Logan as the two of them watched Veronica mashing dough in her hands. She wasn't even sure what she intended to make, she was just grateful to have something to vent her frustrations out on. The groceries had been delivered about twenty minutes later and the Sunshine Cleaning Service crew were just starting to do their rounds in the rooms upstairs.

"Any luck breaking through their encryption?" Veronica asked, she had asked Mac to hack into the Sheriff's Department computer systems to find out what was going on. Cliff still hadn't called her back yet with an update. At least Aaron Echolls was locked back up in County this time.

"Not yet.. they haven't downloaded his information yet from the monitor" Mac said sympathetically.

"You going down to make a statement soon?" Wallace asked carefully, doing his best not to upset her further as she busied herself about the kitchen.

"Yes… but I need to get those records first" She told him. She had to get the files and then go and see Weevil. She needed to end this now… Felix and the Fitzpatricks… there had to be a connection. She just couldn't think of it right now and it was driving her insane. "FUCK!" she screamed, throwing the bowl into the sink and burying her hands in her hair.

"Hey Hey Superfly…" he comforted, stepping forwards to wrap her up in his arms.

"He's innocent Wallace… and his dad's behind this…" she said shaking.

"I think its time we bring your dad in on this Veronica" Wallace told her. He had been trying to avoid the issue, but he hadn't been able to stop the worry from building ever since she had shown him that crime scene picture yesterday with David Curly Moran washed up dead on the beach with her name on his hand.

"I still haven't heard anymore from Cassidy" Mac said quietly. Her boyfriend's father and step mother had just been murdered the previous evening and she had only been able to speak to him briefly this morning.

"Cliff told your dad this morning it's being ruled as self-defence" Wallace told them both.

"I still can't believe Mr Pope would do something like that…" Mac shuddered.

"It's never the ones you would suspect" Veronica sighed, she would have said something very similar about Aaron Echolls when she had been in this very kitchen and he had caught her and Logan making out on the couch. He had seemed so perfectly charming and nice to her when he had driven her home that day. A wolf in the sheep's clothing of a grieving husband and a concerned father.

"Duncan called me from the hospital, Meg's sister snuck him in to see her" Veronica said, changing the subject. "He's going to see Dick and Cassidy after their mother gets in, the Kane's loaned the family their private jet"

"I used to envy those guys.. these big houses… Private Jets… but then you see behind the curtains and I wouldn't trade my scholarship and rust bucket for a second of this" Wallace commented looking at the files on Veronica's computer.

"The problems of the rich and famous" Veronica quipped.

"I'm almost in" Mac updated them, looking at the percentage, 89%

"Excuse me…. Ms Echolls? Could I get your signature here please?" a dark haired woman asked as she handed Veronica a piece of paper, an invoice.

"Sure…" She replied as she scribbled _V Echolls_ onto the paper. It felt odd. Wallace raised an eyebrow at her.

"Be careful what you wish for" he warned.

"I have to go and see Weevil" she declared.

"Hell no!" Wallace protested.

"I need his help" Veronica protested.

"What you need to do is call your dad…" Wallace argued.

"What else do you want me to do Wallace?" she complained. "She lied about her identity.. Havier just ended up dead in the trunk of Logan's car the same night?" she reasoned, her blue eyes glaring at him angrily.

"There is no such thing as coincidence" Veronica told him firmly. "Not in Neptune"

"So what you think Mr Pope killed Havier?" Wallace asked.

"No…" she sighed. "Whoever killed Felix did"

Someone from Weevil's gang… she needed to see the autopsy report and the crime report from Havier's murder. There were so many strings to this, she felt like she was going to get tangled up in it until she choked. She used to be so good at this…

"I'm in" Mac told her, turning the computer screen towards them.

"That's a map…" Wallace commented.

"A Neptune Map" Mac added.

"A map of Neptune showing Logan's whereabouts last night…. Who apparently from 11pm.. was down in Neptune Plazza, near the Serenity Inn… right beside the impound lot for the Sheriffs Department until going for a little joy ride around Neptune" Veronica said as she looked at map.

"You said he was here all night last night.." Wallace told her.

"He was" Veronica confirmed, biting her lip. "Logan's car.. was in the impound lot… it has been for the last three days"

"Then how did it say that Logan was around town?" Mac asked.

"There's someone working in the Sheriff's Department to frame Logan" Veronica declared. It was the only thing that made sense.

"Holy shit.." Wallace said as he realised how much bigger the problem had gotten.

"Who do you call when you can't call the police?" Mac asked in a worried voice.

There only was one person... one person in all of Neptune who could truly be depended upon to always do the right thing.

"My dad" Veronica declared as she grabbed her cell phone and dialled home.


	34. Chapter 34

"Lamb did this" Veronica told her father vehemently.

"We cant be sure" Keith Mars said as he stood in the Echolls family kitchen.

"Yes we can… it's the only thing that makes sense!" Veronica continued as she pointed at the computer logs that Mac had uncovered. It had been Sheriff Lambs authorisation code used to release the car that evening from the impound lot.

"Honey.. we don't have all the details yet" Keith told her as he waited on Inga to email him a copy of the arrest report times for Cassidy Casablanca's the previous evening.

"What we know Dad.. is that at 11.22pm Dick Casablanca's was picked up from here by Deputy Owens and Briar and taken to the Sheriffs Station. About twenty minutes prior, you were punching my boyfriend in the face in this hallway last night" Veronica declared.

"I can't be sure what time I was here last night" Keith replied as he looked at his daughter standing in front of him.

"It's a half hour drive from the apartment dad" Veronica told him. He had arrived about thirty minutes after her last night.

"That's why I am getting the report from Inga… it will have the time that the Deputy's took him into the Sheriff's station for his statement" Keith explained. A Paper trail… even just a small one.

"Veronica.. it's time to tell your dad everything…" Wallace told her as he handed over a cup of coffee to the former Sheriff. Mac glanced at the three of them nervously and continued her hack on the coroner's office to get the autopsy report of Havier Alonso, his sister Clarita was in Mac's physics class.

Veronica sighed as she bit her lip and went to collect the files and notes she had compiling with Logan over the last few days. Keith Mars began to flick through the photos on her laptop until he got to the one of David Curly Moran dead on the beach. Keith gave his daughter a stern worried look.

"Start at the beginning…." He instructed and Veronica took a deep breath and began to fill her dad in on everything she had found.

It took about twenty five minutes for her to finish showing him the information and telling him the theories of how they all fit together, pointing out the pieces that didn't fit.

"I don't see how Aaron Echolls could have known that the night you found the tapes… that Logan was going to be on that Bridge" Keith Mars pointed out eventually.

"I know… its one of the many things that don't make sense" Veronica agreed.

"Unless.. it was actually just wrong place wrong time?" Wallace offered.

"But what to the PCHers have to do with Aaron Echolls?" Mac asked.

"Nothing.. unless you count Weevil and Lilly" Veronica told her.

"Yes but he cared about Lilly, I doubt he would be working to see her killer go free… isn't that why he attack Logan in the first place?" Keith pointed out.

"He had thought Logan killed Lilly so they cornered him alone on the bridge" Veronica agreed, guilt gnawing at her stomach and she exchanged a look with her father. They were both at fault for Logan being in this situation.

"So its what… opportunity?" Wallace suggested.

Opportunity… it was the right situation for someone to get something that they wanted.. but why would someone want to kill Felix Toomes? Why would someone kill Havier Alonso? The PCHers and the Fitzpatricks were rivals as far as she knew, Veronica thought.

"Dad… where would Kendall Casablanca's have problems with the Bikers? Is this about the clubs or the bar?" Veronica observed.

"No.. the PCHers are mostly high school students. The Rusty Knot is mostly affluent 09ers with a fondness for Girls, Drugs and Alcohol" Keith Mars dismissed.

Girls… as far a she knew, the PCHers weren't into trafficking much more than stolen car parts and Alcohol wouldn't have been a problem for an 09er with access to a smartphone and Daddy's Black Amex.

 _Drugs on the other hand…_

"What?" Keith asked studying his daughters face.

"It's just a thought" she said slowly. "Drugs?"

"There has been an increase in stuff being found at School" Wallace agreed.

"It would certainly explain why someone like the Fitzpatricks would be involved with a bunch of teen gangsters" Keith agreed. He knew from his experience as Sheriff that an increase in confiscated items at schools usually meant a new supplier had entered the game.

"So what Felix said no or came up short?" Wallace asked.

"No.. Weevil loved Felix, and he's not into pushing drugs onto school kids, he's half the reason the strongest thing you would find at Neptune High is some weed" Veronica pointed out. As much as her father liked to refer to Weevil as the Criminal Element of Neptune High, she had actually seen him do a lot of good in his time as leader of the gang since he had taken over. Beatings went down, there was less violent crime at night and the worst people usually got was tied to the school flagpole naked.

"Uh guys..?" Mac said as she turned the computer around.

"What is that?" Keith asked.

"It's the contents of everything found in Havier Alonso's pockets.. isn't that pictures of Felix and Molly Fitzpatrick?" she asked.

"I really need to go and see Weevil" Veronica said as she snapped a picture of it on her phone.

"Honey…" Keith protested.

"Do we really need to repeat the I'm 18 now talk?" she scolded.

"No" he sighed. He looked helplessly at Veronica, the unrelenting attitude, and the serious smarts that put her in danger were the very same things that made her his daughter. She was growing faster every day and from solving cases to catching murderers that Keith himself had almost let get away she was proving to be a force of nature and he couldn't contain her much longer. He felt guilty he hadn't been able to safe guard her childhood, that he had involved her in his investigations and gotten her so caught up in the seedy underbelly of Neptune. He could barely keep her safe anymore.

"I need you to find out what happened with that Blackout Dad" Veronica pleaded.

"I'll see what I can find" he agreed as he picked up the phone to call Cliff to start chasing down some ideas he had in mind.

"What do you want me to do?" Wallace asked.

"Help my dad, stay with Mac.. call me with updates?" she sighed as she headed for the door and climbed into the seat of her car.


	35. Chapter 35

Veronica had just finished searching through the drawers in the Mars Investigations Office for the Cell phone tracker when Eli "Weevil" Navarro came charging in and grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her up against the wall. The surprise from the sudden hands on her shoulder made her cry out in surprise.

"You went back to him?" Weevil snarled at her. His face was contorted with rage and he had moved his other hand to her throat.

"Weevil…" she gasped.

"Were you there?" He demanded. "Did you do little cheer for him?"

She shook her head and tried to loosen his grip.

"I used to think we had an understanding V… now not only are you an 09er now… you are giving it up to one of the bastards who murder TWO of my boys" Weevil accused her.

"Weevil…" she gasped again.

"Were you with him?" he demanded again his other hand grabbing a fist full of her blond hair and he released her throat.

"It wasn't Logan" Veronica gasped.

"You are so Naïve Veronica… OPEN YOUR EYES!" he snapped.

Veronica reached in her pocket and tried to skim through her phone.

"What you trying to call the Sheriff?" he shouted as he looked down and saw the screen in her hand.

"Look at it…" she yelped as she held up the gallery of the photos.

"What is that?" Weevil said as he released his hold on her hair, Veronica whimpered as he dropped her and she rubbed the back of her head.

"Havier had that on him last night…" Veronica explained.

"This is Felix and Molly Fitzpatrick" he said, shaking his head in denial.

"I don't know what it means yet" Veronica told him grateful that he had finally calmed down enough and was backing away from her. The anger mostly subsided.

"Felix was seeing someone…" Weevil told her.

"You think is reason enough to want him out of the way?" Veronica asked carefully.

"Why would Logan want Felix out of the way?" Weevil repeated. It was common knowledge that Logan Echolls had a particular taste in girls at Neptune High lately… it had been pretty obvious to everyone that he had been bitter about Veronica dumping him and Dating Duncan Kane and she was standing in front of him right now.

"He wouldn't.." she offered.

"There was only Thumper, Bootsy, Felix and Logan on that bridge" Weevil told her.

"Logan doesn't remember anything but waking up with that bloody knife in his hand… but his injuries… those ribs were too broken to have stabbed Felix" Veronica informed him. "The X Rays prove it"

"So you think one of my boys did this?" Weevil asked.

"I think I know Logan wasn't anywhere near Havier last night because he with me" Veronica declared. "Question is… where was Bootsy and Thumper?"

"Bootsy was with me and Hector" Weevil told her.

"And Thumper?" She said pointedly, her blue eyes resolute.

"He said he had to stay home" Weevil said through gritted teeth.

"Well then someone is lying… and Logan gets nothing out of trying to frame himself" Veronica declared. Weevil looked at the phone and back at Veronica again.

"No.. no he doesn't" he agreed.

"Then are you up for getting me the proof I need that Thumper does?" Veronica asked as she pulled up her laptop and began to fill him in on the details of the case.

Veronica had just finished talking to her father about the kind of bullets that had been found in Haviers body not matching the gun found in Logan's car. It wasn't the murder weapon, but the Sheriff's Department were determined to hold him overnight anyways. Apparently the gun was registered to Dick Casablanca's and the delightful Sheriff Lamb wanted to know what it had been doing in Logan's car. She told him about the link to Molly Fitzpatrick and explained that Weevil had agreed to go with her to have a look around Kendall Casablanca's house later that evening when it became dark.

"If this is about Drugs… there has to be someplace that the Micks and the Spics cross paths… how did Molly and Felix even meet?" Weevil pondered.

"Isn't there someone you can ask to find out?" Veronica questioned.

"Not in the PCH Club… not without tipping Thumper off" Weevil replied quietly. The two of them were standing in the small kitchen of the Mars Investigations Office. "Not in the club…. But there is one place I know where people hear just about everything" Weevil mentioned, giving Veronica a calculating stare.

"What?" Veronica asked.

"How you feel about us going for a Drink?" He said conspiratorially.

"Why can't you just tell Gustavio I am not going to the wedding?" Daisy complained as she saw Eli Navarro approaching the bar with his usually happy grin on his face.

"Daize.. you know I just cant stay away from you" he flirted.

"What do you want?" she said, her green eyes glaring angrily at him.

"My usual.. Chilli Fries and Beer" he suggested.

"You want Mage to kick my ass?" she growled and handed him a soda.

"Was worth a shot" he mused.

"I'm sorry to hear about Javier" she sighed and gave him a small basket of curly fries.

"Yeah… me too" he agreed, his light mood vanished.

"How's Mateo?" she asked, tucking a strand of her black hair behind her ear. She used to date his older brother and she knew that Havier and Mateo were practically brothers now since their parents had started living together.

"Hes coping… his moms, not so much" Weevil told her.

"I'm surprised you came all the way out here… I'd have expected you to be out trying to see Marie-lynne or something?" she asked.

"What can you tell me about the Fitzpatricks?" He asked carefully.

"Those Meth Head Lunatics?" she swore as she began to use the glass washer furiously. "You stay out of trouble with them… I've warned you before" she complained. Daisy was a few years older than Weevil, she had been heavily involved with The Reaper before he had disappeared. Felix's older brother.

"Where would one of my guys meet a Fitzpatrick?" Weevil pressed.

"Before God" She told him.

"Because the only way they would agree is if they were dead?" Weevil queried.

"NO.. at church. That's where Liam Fitzpatrick convinced Reaper to start dealing for them" she corrected. "No amount of praying can make that decision go away… so do yourself and your boys a favour… listen to me Joven… do not get involved with them… or more of your boys will end up in the ground" she warned, a small well of tears forming behind her heavily mascaraed eyeliner.

"I wont be…" Weevil promised, but now he knew all he needed to know.

St Marys Catholic Church.

"Did you find anything out?" Veronica asked as Weevil returned to the car.

"Yeah… after we go check out this house… we need to go to Confession" he told her as he buckled his seat belt.


	36. Chapter 36

The holding cell in the Balboa County Sheriff's department was freezing and the Deputy's still hadn't removed his cuffs. This was insane; someone was setting him up… again. Logan really wished that his lawyer Cliff McCormack would hurry up and arrive soon.

One of the witnesses from the Felix Toomes murder investigation had turned up dead… in the back of his car? How could that even happen? His car had been impounded by the Sheriff's Department out of spite!

Havier "Shiv" Alonso. One of the last two people to see Felix Toomes still breathing on that bridge.

He closed his eyes and willed away the image of a dead Felix lying in the middle of the road, the smell of the blood tasted like pennies on the back of his tongue. He would still wake up from the nightmares of seeing those glassy eyes reaching out at him over the darkness. The urge to punch something had been slowly building up steadily since his arrest earlier today.

Kendall Casablanca's and her husband were dead? If the truth ever came out about that affair… he'd be a suspect in that murder too. His dad had tried to murder his girlfriend and his best friends by sending that school bus over a cliff… Had Kendall only been useful as long as she'd kept Logan from getting on that bus?

 _Why was the universe trying to punish him like this?_

Some mystery witness shows up months after he'd thought this was all over the very week that Veronica decided she loved him as much as he loved her? Someone was trying to ruin his life… he had to find out why.

 _He'd been at home with Veronica all night but someone had tampered with the records of his electronic monitor, how was that even possible?_

He was so lost in his own musings that he hadn't noticed the smug Sheriff sauntering into the holding cells accompanied by his favourite lap dog, Deputy Briar.

"You broke into the impound lot, probably had your little buddy here help you…" Lamb had sneered at him through the bars as he showed Logan the crime scene pictures of the Hispanic boy's body curled up in the back of his trunk. "What's the matter, did you see the opportunity and finally decided to pop him a few and rid yourself of another witness?" the Sheriff had interrogated.

"It wasn't me" Logan snapped.

"The GPS data suggests otherwise" Lamb argued.

"Well according to your Deputy, half of Neptune went Dark" Logan retorted with his usual casual insolence designed to set teeth on edge. Flaunting an attitude with authority figures as a reflex of his. "Get my Lawyer" Logan demanded and he watched as Lamb's lips twisted in that way that said he'd rather drink poison than obey.

"He's on his way… and that data, came directly from your monitor, at the source" Lamb snarked.

"Then I am sure you wouldn't mind supplying us with the most recent calibrations data, servicing contract and maintenance logs of your monitoring system, as well as all relevant data for the cyber defence of your security systems so we can independently verify this monitor evidence you are using to hold my client" Cliff demanded as he walked into the small holding cell room.

Logan looked up and sighed gratefully as he saw the middle aged man standing in his off-the-rack brown suit, holding his brief case.

"Client Attorney Privilege.. if you could be so kind as to supply us with an appropriate office and those records I asked for… perhaps a coffee, cream, two sugars and some adequate heating or blankets for the occupants of this holding room" Mr McCormack added as the Sheriff glared at him.

"Sure" he said through gritted teeth.

"I am so glad to see you" Logan admitted as he stood up.

"Deputy, could you remove these from my client?" Cliff asked Deputy Briar as he stood supervising.

"Sheriff says he's to keep them on" Briar replied.

"Section 7, paragraph 4 of the California handbook… the young man clearly does not pose any flight risk in his current accommodation's, and continued use of restraints in this manner could constitute cruel and unusual punishment" Cliff warned him.

"Even trouble-makers have civil rights" Logan sneered as he jingled the cuffs; there was no mistaking his sarcasm. _He'd always been a witty bastard though hadn't he?_

The Deputy made no moves to take them off; instead he just turned and went to seek approval from his superiors.

"Can't you just spend at least a few days staying out of here?" the weary lawyer asked. "I've seen your house… it is decidedly much nicer accommodation's… or is it that you just really enjoy my company? Because although I am flattered. I could suggest some much better venues… Venues with errrr delightful young women working their way through College and alcohol" Cliff mused sarcastically.

"One of the other witnesses from the case was just killed" Logan told him.

"Ah yes.. so I have heard… a Have-er Heavier… Javier Alonso" Cliff said as he read the name off the case file.

"Havier Alonso" Logan corrected. It was a well-known fact in Neptune High that the nurse in the hospital where Havier had been born had made a mistake when recording the name on his birth certificate, born to a teenage non-english speaking mother at the time, the name had stuck.

"He's the nephew of Latoya Alonso, CPKW 97.4 afternoon talk show…. This will no doubt be generating a lot of press" Cliff sighed. "It says here that the body was found in the trunk of your car"

"My car has been impounded at the Sheriffs impound lot since my original arrest" Logan sighed and flashed his ankle monitor.

"Well.. right now we need to seize the footage from the impound lot, try and canvas the place for any other witnesses… then there is the matter of the gun which was found at the scene with your prints on it" Cliff said quietly and checked the cell next to them. They were alone.

"It's mine… well… it's a friends" Logan confessed.

"Does this friend have a name?" Cliff said opening his notebook.

"Richard Casablanca's" Logan told him.

"As in… the recently deceased… all over the news… murdered yesterday evening… Richard and Kendall Casablanca's?" he asked and Logan nodded. "Well… I'll say this for you kid… you do sure like to keep the case interesting" Cliff sighed.

"Sheriff says interview room 6 is free" Deputy Ryan's said as he entered the room.

"I should have brought bigger notepad…" Cliff said looking at the small notebook in his hand as he watched Logan's cell being opened and Deputy Sachs helped to escort him to the small interview room so they could continue their consultation.


	37. Chapter 37

His father was a pillar of society, a philanthropist; everyone believed that he was a family man… a real great guy. It wasn't hard for Logan to realize that some people still didn't want to see behind the lights, camera, and action perfect veneer… his Hollywood good guy façade and see the monster lurking underneath. He'd been hiding his true face from people for years… that people still had doubts about the recent revelations that he was an adulterer, a child abuser and a murderer shouldn't have surprised him. But it still hurt some little boy part of him deep down if he was honest with himself about it. How many times had he tried to speak up about the abuse… the cigarette burns and broken noses? Teachers, family friends… Not even his own sister Trina had believed him until that night Aaron Echolls had beaten her boyfriend in their backyard, until she had seen the violence up close and personal.

Logan had always known. His mother was gone… Richard and Kendall Casablancas were gone… Lilly…. And that monster was still breathing. He had never loved him, because how could he have done what he did, if he had ever meant anything to him?

 _Everyone who had ever loved him, his father had found a way to take from him, and he was still trying…_

Logan paced the cell in frustration, where was Veronica? He wanted to get out of here.

"Death only gives us back to God…" his father had said during the Eulogy he had given for his mother.

 _Is that how he justified taking so many lives? How he slept at night? Lilly… all those kids on the bus…_

If Logan ever had to pay for the sins of his father… he wasn't sure there was enough flesh on his bones to cover the cost.

"You know, I wanted to be a cop… but I figured I should finish high school instead" Logan said sarcastically as Sheriff Lamb walked into the interrogation room.

"You got a smart mouth on you kid" Lamb snarled.

"Funny… yours is stupid" Logan sighed before he was shot a weary glare by his Lawyer Cliff McCormack who sat in the seat beside him as the Sheriff took the seat directly opposite Logan and proceeded to stare him down.

"How has your stay been with us so far Mr Echolls? Missing your _daddy_ , or do you feel like talking to us now?" he retorted in a mocking tone.

"Oh you know… shy but working through it" Cliff chided with fake enthusiasm before his client could answer as he took the file that the Sheriff handed him.

"You violated your bail conditions… you are going inside" Lamb told him gleefully.

"I was at home.. there's a witness, I was with Veronica Mars all night" Logan sighed, he would be freaking out if he didn't know that Keith Mars had officially joined his daughter in the investigation. He still didn't know how the fake witness in the Felix case was connected to all of this… or if the recent murder of Havier Alonso was connected to the stabbing, but he was sure that with the Mars Investigations Duo on the hunt for answers, that some of that Mars Magic would shake something loose soon.

"And yet your ankle monitor says that you actually broke into the impound lot and stole back your car… I can't imagine a guy like you has the intellects to pull something like that off on your own. But if as you say, you weren't alone last night… maybe I need to be hauling your little girlfriend in here and asking her some questions?" Sheriff Lamb threatened. "She really the brains behind this little outfit?" he suggested tauntingly. "I mean… fool me once, shame on her. Fool me twice and she goes to jail"

 _He wouldn't… he couldn't…_

"You stay away from Veronica!" Logan snapped as Lamb flashed those pearly whites at him in a snide grin.

"Ms Mars was with her father yesterday evening… and Mr Echolls. Her presence at the Echolls family estate can be confirmed by your own Deputy's Owens and Briar at 11.22pm when they collected Mr Dick Casablancas… now I realize that intelligence and your department kind of has the same reaction as a peanut allergy… because if my client was at his home, with witnesses, including Mr Dick Casablancas whom has yet to be contacted for questioning then he couldn't possibly have been at the Sheriff's impound lot by the Neptune Plazza at 11pm" Cliff told him wryly.

"Yeah, well according to the data on his monitor… he was near the Serenity Inn at midnight, about two miles from where the body of yet another PCHer was found in the trunk of his car" the Sheriff informed him, his voice was thick with malice.

"And according to your own records, half of Neptune went Dark about 11pm yesterday evening" Cliff countered.

"You know in this job I have to do a lot of things I'm not qualified for… like be nice to idiots… but I can guarantee you, that little detail won't mean jack to Judge Dewberry when I send over the details of your case" he told Logan viciously. "So I'm sure you had a pretty good time with Ms Mars last night… but I'll hand you over the official police report and you can let me know" Lamb threatened.

"Yeah… you protect and serve the shit out of Neptune" Logan retorted angrily.

"Your car also had a busted tail light when it was found…" Lamb snorted.

"Do you need someone to spell out the big irrelevant words phonetically?"

"I truly believe this level of stupidity should be painful" Cliff sighed as he watched the verbal tennis match between his client and the Sheriff.

"I can legally hold your client here for 48 hours… so I'm going to. I've sent Deputy Ryan's out to collect Ms Mars… and given the sensitive timing of the recent losses to the Casablancas family.. it might take some time for your friend to be questioned to back up your alibi… as for using my deputy's as witnesses… well" he smiled in satisfaction. "It can't be confirmed exactly when they collected Mr Casablancas from the Echolls house… the dispatch records weren't exactly logged. There are some… issues with filing.. Computer issues" he sneered.

Logan wanted to reach across the table and smash the smug look off the man's face.

 _They had corrupted the paper trail that Keith Mars had been trying to use to help him…_

"I've filed the necessary paperwork with Inga and the Balboa County Sheriffs districts office for the CCTV footage from the private security cameras from the Romestrad property that directly overlooks the Echolls family entrance. I believe it has been sufficiently upgraded after the arrest of Aaron Echolls last year" Cliff smiled. "There are also the phone records of both my client and his witnesses… which I believe are in the process of being tracked… but by all means. Please do contact Ms Mars, her statement would come in very helpful when I refer the case to Supreme Court Justice Kelvin Bancroft"

"Bancroft… that's right, great guy. He's a member of my country club.. Lousy poker face" Logan said to Cliff casually.

He really just wanted to get out of here. Where was Veronica? Had Dick said anything to Lamb or the wrong person about their theory that his father had been behind the bus crash?

"This the part where you think I should be thanking you for paying my Salary? It still doesn't explain why there was a gun in your car" Lamb snarled as he tapped his finger on the desk.

"Well… I was going to the gun range with my good friend Dick over at Neptune Target… then we wanted to go surfing, so he concealed his weapon in the glove compartment of my car" he replied sarcastically. He just hoped he could get word to Dick on time to back him up. Richard Casablancas had given him that gun to protect himself a few weeks ago, it wasn't even loaded.

"Conveniently in your car… where there was the body of another PCHer… starting to see a pattern here" Lamb drawled as he flicked through the crime scene pictures. He was becoming frustrated, Logan could see it, he was desperate to make this stick.. the question was.. why?

"The autopsy report that you gave me supplied by the County's Coroner's office states that the bullets found in Mr Alonso came from an unregistered Smith & Wesson Model 642 and the unloaded pistol found in my clients car was a Sig Sauer P226" Cliff pointed out. "There was no gunshot residue found on my client"

Logan felt something relax with this latest revelation. He had been worrying about the gun.

"It's not to say that it wasn't one that Ms Mars may have had in her possession, she has yet to be located and tested… she has been known to have those kind of contacts… and she certainly had the means to blackmail someone into giving her one" Lamb sibilated as he glared at the lawyer. "It's also very interesting that before we could get a search warrant… you invited a high end cleaning service to your home. Sunshine Cleaning Services? Were you aware that they are also provide specialist crime scene clean up services? Pretty suspicious if you ask me…"

"Are we done?" Logan sighed. "I have nothing left to say to you… my car was in the Sheriff's department possession, for 3 days. I have no _idea_ how Havier ended up in my trunk, and given that he wasn't in there when you _took_ my car… I've seen better cop work on Police Academy"

"If I wanted people to like me… I would have become a firefighter" Lamb mused. "Get him back to holding" he ordered Deputy Sacks. "and you, take your files and get out of here" he added to Cliff.

"And I'll just make time to go sit in my cell until Veronica disproves this garbage…" Logan grumbled. "I mean… if this is the best Neptune PD has to offer.. I am legitimately terrified of that little lady… she is not inclined to show you mercy" he smiled as he was hauled to the door.

"You should have gone to see the wizard, asked for a humility… because if she resists coming down for questioning… I might just tell my boys that she could be considered armed and dangerous" Lamb whispered in Logan's ear. "And I'm pretty sure that little sleuth doesn't wear Kevlar"


	38. Chapter 38

"I still can't believe you got back together with Mr Tall, Dark and Wonderful" Weevil said in disgust as Veronica parked up on the street beside St Mary's Chapel.

"Cor ad cor loquitur" she replied absently.

 _Heart speaks to heart._

"We are probably going to hell for this" he sighed as she picked up the camera and receiver she was planning on putting into the confessional booth.

"God's are fragile things… they can be killed by science or common sense. I choose the latter" she muttered as she pulled on her jacket. "You ready for this?"

"They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds… those Fitzpatrick's killed three of my boys… and Thumper helped them… I have to know why" Weevil confirmed.

"Drugs… it's the only explanation" she told him and she watched as he turned that information around in his mind. She knew that Weevil had a personal hatred of drugs after the death of his mother to an overdose when he was only 12. He'd done his best to disrupt the supply in Neptune High school by encouraging his gang to boost cars and petty theft instead.

"But without proof they won't listen. He's got so many of those Latino Blood guys in the group since the summer… after the Community Pool burned down, we made a few _friendships_ with some guys who worked with my Uncle. Extra muscle mostly, especially after those 09er assholes started having more illegal raves down in our neighbourhood. What I didn't know… is that they liked to _carry_ " he told her simply.

"Carry?" Veronica questioned, tucking a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Guns, Knives… I mean, I don't like that kind of shit… Gun's change the rules… you have to be pretty desperate to invite that kind of chaos…" he reasoned, his brown eyes betraying the ghost of a memory. His cousin Charlo's father being gunned down outside his house when he was only 6 years old. It was a line he'd always promised himself he would try never to cross. He needed to get the proof quickly, because the thought of having to spend the next few days, weeks, however long this took, worry about the dagger at his throat was something that he couldn't tolerate.

 _Patience wasn't one of his virtues. Either the law would handle Thumper… or he would…_

Neptune had changed after the 09ers and PCHers had declared war on one another. The polarization had been cemented after Logan had won his hearing during the summer before Dr Tom Griffiths came forward to provide a false alibi. Tensions had run high, the new metal detectors in the school had been a sure sign of that. Neither side willing to back down, things were escalating.

 _Hell is empty and all the devils are here…_

"Okay… so proof it is" she agreed as she looked at the church.

"You know, you are so good at all this private investigating I'm surprised you aren't Latina" he said, a small smile curling up one edge of his mouth, he looked at the marks around her neck and felt a twinge of guilt. He hadn't meant to hurt her. She could act tough but she built was fragile, soft… like Lilly.

 _Don't mistake a biker's kindness for weakness… he could choke you with the same hand he'd fed you with…_

"You trying to ask me to be your Ride or Die bitch?" she joked.

"No you ain't got the attitude… but I do think you should head in first… for appearances. You blonds tend to get noticed" he pointed out.

"You got my 6?" she swallowed as she picked up her small bag.

"Don't I always?" he nodded.

 _Okay… here we go…_

Thankfully the confessional had been empty, and the cameras were placed without much hassle, she tucked the receiver under one of the benches at the back. Hopefully Thumper would be feeling the need to be purged of his sins soon, for Logan's sake. Veronica was convinced that it was Thumper who had killed Havier… no one else would have been able to get as close to him unless it was someone he trusted. She was exhausted, she missed Logan. She was worried. She had never been particularly religious, but standing in front of those glass windows, she found herself praying for help.

"Hello?" Keith Mars answered.

"Dad?" she said as she lit the candle, her phone pressed to her ear.

"Honey" he said in a relieved tone.

"Did you find out anything?" she asked.

"Not much… the paperwork was a dead end. The Deputy's didn't log their dispatch records for when they picked up Dick… but the good news is that the bullets used to kill the Alonso boy didn't match the one's for the pistol found in Logan's car" he told her.

"Finally some good news…" she sighed.

"Apparently Sheriff Lamb is wanting you to come in for questioning… Cliff's at the New Saturn café, if you get picked up give him a call and he will be right there" her dad warned.

"I tried to make a statement but they wouldn't listen" Veronica replied, leaving the church.

 _Don't panic Mars… anything can be achieved with a good cup of coffee and cute outfit…_

"Yea well I don't know what game they are playing sweetheart, but I think we are going to have to tread careful on this one" the former sheriff told her.

"I know… did you find anything else out?" Veronica asked as her hand rested on the car door.

"No, I'm going to go and see what I can find out at Pricilla Bank's house before the Sheriff's department catches up and realises she isn't who she said she is" her dad replied, he sounded just as tired as she was.

"I'm surprised they haven't run her prints through AFIS yet" she replied as she got in beside Weevil.

"There was gang shooting over on 23rd and Oakland. My contact Greg Burns over in the morgue has tried to delay it as long as he can… but I can't wait much longer. It would be quicker, if I did this part alone" he stated firmly. From his tone, Veronica knew that any disobedience on this part would not be tolerated, her father was angry with her for keeping him in the dark about the full scope of the investigation. "I think Lamb is trying to get a warrant to search the Echolls estate… we can't keep investigating here"

Veronica cursed. "I'm with Weevil… I was going to bring him back to Logan's and show him the files…"

 _And to call Dick, Cassidy and Duncan to try and fit all these pieces together…_

"No… and you can't take them home either. Mac and Wallace have taken everything to the Neptune Science department public library…" he advised her.

The Science Department was a public branch of the Environmental Agency responsible for the marine life in the coastal waters around Neptune, it also hosted a public library open to students and professionals 24 hours a day. The perfect place for them to hide their files from the Sheriff's department.

"Okay… I'll meet them there… and dad? Be careful" she pleaded.

 _Pity unlike the Echolls estate it doesn't have a fully stocked wine cellar… she could use a drink right about now…_

"You too, I love you Honey" he said simply.

"I love you too dad" she breathed before disconnecting the call and casting a glance at Weevil.

"It's okay.. you don't have to love me" he mused as he clicked on his seat belt.

"Bite your tongue!" she smirked as she put on her own.

"My dad's breaking into the Fitzpatricks house on his own" she sighed, her voice thick with worry.

"Want me to go with him?" Weevil offered but she shook her head.

"You have priors" she replied. Besides, she needed him on the outside, free to get the PCHers off Logan's back or her little Big Brother set up in the confessional booth was for nothing.

"I'm not a thief… I'm just very good at acquiring things that aren't mine" he chided as Veronica started the car.

"By the way… Lamb is looking for me" she cautioned.

"I'm with you V, for better or worse" he told her sincerely.

"Not the kind of thing you should be saying this close to the inside of a church" she advised sarcastically.

"I knew I always would be the day I met you" he admitted, as Lilly's best friend. Weevil would always have her back.

"It'll probably be worse" she noted quietly.

"I like to think of myself as an outcome engineer" he grinned.


	39. Chapter 39

"Seriously? Is this some kind of punch line that I just don't get?" Weevil commented as he stood in front of the Science Department public library building, watching as Veronica hid her car under the blue tarp.

"What are you talking about?" Veronica asked, distracted as she kept an eye out for any of the ocean view private security patrol cars that usually circulated around the area. They worked in conjunction with the Sheriff's department, and were probably on the lookout for LeBaron as well.

"We are meeting your little Scooby Gang at the library? Should I start calling you Ms Summers?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"If there was an apocalypse I am the last person you should be beeping" she sighed, tucking her blond hair under her black cap.

"Should we not be off helping Giles with his B&E?" Weevil complained, he was less than thrilled to heading towards a place with this many books that didn't benefit him getting to walk across that stage at graduation.

"My Dad, is going to be fine… besides… I need you to look at these files and see if there's a connection between the PCHers and the Fitzpatrick's I might have missed" She explained as they went into the large building and headed towards the stairs. The inside was large and airy, like you might expect to see in a museum, and most of the walls were decorated with Student Showcase art from the local schools and colleges.

"We already know the connection… Thumper" he sighed.

"I don't think it's as simple as that… I mean… why would Aaron have Kendall keep Logan off the bus… just to let the Fitzpatrick's frame him?" she pondered as she walked through the stacks and spotted Mac and Wallace sitting in a study booth in the corner. "Why kill Havier?"

"I think Thumper killed Havier to keep him quiet… he probably lured him in by saying that he wanted to steal Echolls car" Weevil reasoned. "I'm-not-exactly-a-card-carrying member of the Nancy Drew society but I figure that part was obvious."

"We need proof that the Fitzpatrick's are in bed with Aaron Echolls…" Wallace said as they both sat down at the table.

"I haven't been able to find any concrete connections… prison records show that occasionally they shared a cell mate in common, who would have a job rotation around the same prison. This guy… Henry King, he's shared a cell for two years with Tyrone Fitzpatrick and he's doing the same inmate Psychology course as Aaron" Mac said as she pulled up the mug shot.

"So there's no direct contact?" Veronica sighed.

"Not obvious ones… but I'm sure theres others"

"There's definitely others… we just don't know who all the players are… I might have to start pulling on a few threads in this web on my end. See what shakes loose" Weevil told them.

"Your end?" Wallace asked.

"Few of the older PCHers… I could maybe pay Chardo a visit… see how my cousin is coping… see if he knows anything" Weevil explained, referring to his cousin who was currently doing time out in San Quintin for credit card theft and identity fraud. The two hadn't exactly parted ways on the best of terms, and the Echolls were the reason that Chardo had been arrested in the first place after it was discovered that he had been using the stolen cards to romance Caitlin Ford, Logan's girlfriend at the time.

"Would he help?" Veronica asked quietly.

"He doesn't give a damn about that tarado Logan… but he loved Felix. The three of us came up together" Weevil told her. "He'd get me the information that I need… Hijo de puta owes me… he hates the Blood as much as I do, and there's no way he's going to let those Pinche Fitzpatrick's get any more power after the shit they pulled with Gustavio."

"It's a lead… it's more than we had" Mac commented.

"Your dad said that the Sheriff was looking for you" Wallace said in a quiet voice as a tall girl in a pink sweater came to collect some books from the stack beside them.

"I know… they called into Java the Hut. Marian called me…" Veronica replied in a hushed tone, referring to her manager at the coffee shop where she worked.

"You still taking time off?" Wallace asked. Ever since she'd gotten back together with Logan, she had traded away her shifts this week away to Gracey Farnham and Matt Gilbert, her colleagues.

"Well.. I can't exactly solve a murder and supply Neptune with Mocha Lattes at the same time" she sighed. What she wouldn't give for a mocha right now….

"I swear you can't walk two feet in this town without uncovering some conspiracy" he breathed and rubbed the stubble on his chin.

"Every girl has her talents…" she jested as she picked up the files that Mac had printed about the prison records.

"Yeah but yours almost get you killed, girl you have to be careful!" he scolded. Veronica could tell from the deep lines on his forehead that he was worried, and it was getting late.

 _Didn't he have a shift at the Sac-n-Pac?_

"Ah but if I did that I would be putting my superhuman detective mystique at risk" Veronica jested as she bit her lip and took the summary he had written for her. "Have you called your mom?" she added softly. Their parents were dating now, it made them a lot closer than just best friends, they were practically family.

"She knows where I am… some deputy showed up on my door step looking for you…" he told her. "I called in sick… but we got to figure out what is going on... because this is getting out of hand"

"We've got to get something to eat soon… I'm starving" Mac said as her stomach grumbled. "Even though the autopsy updates from the coroner's office makes me want to puke"

"There's a place not far from here… and I think there's a vending machine on the third floor" Wallace offered.

"I haven't got any cash on me" Mac sighed.

"It's on me" Veronica promised, glancing in dismay at the lack of available obvious evidence in the prison rosters. There was a piece missing… this just didn't compute. Once again her stomach dipped and swirled, and she tried to push aside the panic that she wouldn't solve this in time. She couldn't quite explain it, she felt like net was slowly closing in around her, like time was running out.

"Have you heard from Cassidy?" she asked Mac.

"Yeah, he and Dick are staying with Duncan… I haven't really had a chance to get more information yet. I think he's in shock" Mac replied quietly, her friend's apprehension was tangible now, if the look in her friends pale-blue eyes could be used as a barometer.

 _I should call Duncan…find out what Dick has told Lamb…I'm not ready to be taken off the board just yet…_

"What do you think Lamb want's you for?" Wallace asked, breaking the silence.

"Nothing good…" Weevil commented.

"Ritual sacrifice?" she mused. "I have to turn myself in. I'm going to call Cliff and have Leo meet me here… there's a rot in the Sheriff's department, and I'll be able to find it quicker if I'm right in the belly of the beast" she told them finally, taking a second to consider if she was making an epic-quality mistake.

"I'm trying to hack into the Balboa County Sheriff's server host… it should contain the IP address of whoever brought down the system…" Mac protested.

"On a scale of one to ten, that's in the high thirties for being a really dumb idea" Weevil warned.

"That's a horrible plan" Wallace told her firmly, his tone implied he wouldn't let her out of his sight.

"Actually… it could be a useful plan…." she sighed, holding up a bug. "I need eyes and ears in there… someone is pulling his strings"

 _Why oh why hadn't she just made those fake passports when Logan joked about them earlier? They could be on a private island someplace away from all this craziness…_

"Well it isn't the Fitzpatrick's. They hate cops." Weevil observed. "They'd be more likely to drop him off the end of a pier than do business"

"You sure?" Wallace asked.

"He's a scavenger… if he got anything on them, then he'd squeeze them for it. This would be too much like leverage, they'd never trust him" Weevil told them. "And he's the kind of slippery asshole wouldn't take a deal with the Fitzpatrick's without some hell of a leverage… if he was involved, he'd just turn around and sell the information to the Kane's. I mean... who would you deal with? Those meth'd up lunatics.. or the billionaires who helped finance your election campaign?" Weevil scoffed.

 _Money talks… and Lamb was dirty and conniving enough to go with the highest bidder._

"There's no way the Kane's would be working with the Fitzpatrick's to frame Logan… I mean, for God sakes… Duncan and I were supposed to be on that bus.." Veronica said shaking her head.

 _This is getting us nowhere…_

"Well if not them… then who?" Wallace sighed.

"Echolls" Weevil proclaimed. "He's the only one who benefits the most out of all of this"

"You think they are all working for Logan's dad?" Mac swallowed as she visibly paled.

"And what about Kendall and Richard Casablancas? Where did they fit into all of this?" Wallace asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

"It's possible that what happened to the Casablancas' isn't even connected" Mac interrupted and they turned to look at her.

"What do you mean?" Wallace asked.

"The pictures you sent me? I cross-referenced them with the timeline for Bag Man and Kendall? Those properties are all listed in the Casablancas Enterprises portfolio… except they look nothing like the brochures… I think Mr Casablancas was up to something… illegal" Mac said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Show me" Veronica said as she slid her seat next to her friend and Mac started to point out the pictures. _Who was the bag guy in the photos?_ "I wish I could run facial recognition" she sighed.

"I kind of already did… he's local authenticator for some property review board…" Mac admitted guiltily.

"Where did you get access to facial recognition?" Weevil asked incredulously.

"When I hacked the state police departments and prison systems servers?" she told him sheepishly.

"And folks think _I'm_ the criminal" he mused shaking his head.

"Review board… you think they were paying him off?" Wallace suggested as he stood behind Veronica.

"Probably" she sighed. _This was her fault…_ Cassidy had taken those pictures, he'd probably noticed the same thing but went to ask their FBLA teacher what it meant. "That could explain why Mr Pope shot and killed Mr Casablancas"

"You think he had motive?" Mac asked.

"He was supposed to be retiring in a few months… he'd put almost everything into Casablancas Real Estate… if this was a Ponzi scheme and he found out?" Veronica replied.

"Then Mr Pope would be wanting to have a little Come to Jesus talk with Mr and Mrs Casablancas" Weevil pointed out.

"So it's possible that this was about Mr Casablancas… and had absolutely nothing to do with his wife and the fake witness, the crash, or the Fitzpatrick's" Wallace stated as he stood back and surveyed the table.

"Well, just because she's dead, doesn't mean she still isn't a lead. The Fitzpatrick's have several properties in Kendall's name" Veronica told them, handing over the list she had in her bag.

"Your dad's gone to search house now" Mac said, turning to stretch, her stomach rumbling.

"The Fitzpatrick's are probably using it as a safe house… a place to lay low, store things. A dead drop for packages" Weevil told them.

"And of course… if the police ever came calling… they wouldn't be looking for Kendall Casablancas, they'd be looking for Pricilla Banks" Veronica nodded, frustration gathering like a storm cloud inside her. She just wanted to scream in frustration. "Can you get into the City's CCTV grid?" she asked Mac.

"You thought of something?" Wallace asked.

"When I drove over to Logan's I stopped to get gas… the station opposite the Camelott.. there's got to be footage of me there" she said.

"Which mean you was in an area nowhere near the Impound lot" Weevil noted.

"I need to make sure I have a copy of that footage, before our delightful Sheriff's department misfiles it or there's any more computer glitches" Veronica explained.

"There's a few camera's in the Thai food place that overlook the pumps" Weevil told her. "We could get some footage from there" Wallace gave him an unamused glare, the first time they had ever met, Weevil and the PCHers had duct taped Wallace to the school flag pole stark naked because of the security tape footage in the Sac-N-Pac that Lamb had confiscated the night that Hector Esposito and Mateo Sanchez had robbed it. "I make it a point of knowing where potential problems could be for me and my boys… if I isn't doing something legal… I at least try to make sure I do it smart… they will have footage… and you can bet your ass that Lamb won't think to check there"

"And they say Crime doesn't pay.." Veronica smiled.

"I'll get the footage" Weevil promised.

"And maybe we could get some curry?" Mac suggested as her stomach gargled again.

"I think I'm going to take a trip out and bring back something to keep us going" Wallace replied as he picked up his jacket and turned to Veronica.

"Great… oh and some red vines…." Mac added.

"Do not leave until I get back…" he warned.

"I won't I promise" she nodded. "Besides… I really want to know what we are dealing with…"

Seemingly satisfied that something had caught her attention, Wallace left to go to his truck to collect some supplies. They could be here a while. Looking at the report for the fake witness, Veronica found herself looking at the smiling picture of Dr Tom Griffiths more intently. Exactly how had the Fitzpatrick's or Aaron Echolls gotten a seemingly decent pillar of the community under their thumb enough to be willing to lie under oath?

 _Leverage…. They had something on him, but what exactly?_

"You have that look" Weevil commented as he watched her blue eyes glow intensely at the photo in her hand.

"What look?" she said, meeting his espresso-brown gaze.

"That same look my sister's cat gets when it catches the scent of something" he responded, a slight tug on the side of his mouth.

"Just wondering how the Fitzpatricks and Echolls could have caught a guy like this with his pants down long enough to twist his arm into making a false statement" she muttered.

"Pants down… well wouldn't that be this place?" Mac offered, holding up a picture of The Rusty Knot strip joint.

"Too bad we can't just walk in and start asking questions… according to my dad.. this place is super seedy… girls have gone missing from this place. We can't risk it… and it's practically owned by the Fitzpatricks" Veronica sighed.

 _Or at the very least… was owned by the now deceased Pricilla Banks._

"The Knot?" Weevil said, taking the picture from Mac, a grin spreading over his face.

"Why am I not surprised that you know something about the local strip club?" Veronica smiled.

"Not me personally… you remember my friend Daisy…" Weevil started.

"The bartender from the Road Hog?" Veronica interrupted. They had been there earlier that evening before they left to bug the chapel.

"Yeah… she's a regular there… works the bar sometimes for the manager Sal" he continued.

"You think she'd help us?" Mac asked.

"Felix's older brother was her boyfriend" Weevil said grimly.


	40. Chapter 40

"Remind me again why I am agreeing to this?" Daisy asked angrily as she took the ear com from Veronica. Weevil had managed to convince his friend to take over the shift of one of Keith Mars' former C.I's, a cocktail waitress called Lauren Sorrell so that they could get an idea of the kind of inner workings going on inside the Rusty Knot.

"Because you love me?" Weevil flirted as she fiddled with the skimpy black bikini top and short plaid skirt.

"Sabelotodo, qué chula" she cursed, her green eyes flashing at him. "No, the only reason I agreed to this was so you wouldn't try anything else stupid!"

"And it had nothing to do with me mentioning Undercover and you getting the wrong impression?" he teased.

"No eres gracioso Esé" she growled in Spanish.

"Relajarse " he soothed. "I know better than to take those kinds of risks…"

"You better Pachuco… because I don't want to have to watch you get hauled off in handcuffs like Pedro… and I have buried enough too imbéciles estúpidos" she swore, but her fury struck Veronica that it was more of a big sisterly affection. "What exactly am I supposed to be looking for?" she sighed.

"How they operate" Weevil explained. Veronica was still surprised that Daisy had agreed to help them at all, if the Fitzpatrick's had murdered and disappeared Logan… she wasn't sure she'd have the strength to go undercover in one of their lairs, but Weevil had explained that sometimes the Irish Mafia used to traffic underage girls through the club before a DEA operation a few years ago had shut them down for a while. Girls from broken homes, bad neighbourhoods, down-on-their luck girls desperate to get out of Neptune and start over. When she wasn't involved in raising a little hell and doing something misguidedly life reaffirming in the wake of past tragedy's; Daisy was part of a community outreach programme who tried to counsel girls like that before that Life sucked them in too far. She ran the Latino version of a missing person's unit. She was dedicated to helping out and giving them alternatives, even if it meant occasionally she had to stomach being around the monsters that ruined her life if it meant she got to do some good.

"I really hope Güera here is worth it" she said, glancing at Veronica.

"Mi sirenita… just get the girls talking… you don't have to go all Sydney Bristow in there" he assured her.

"As long as you don't go taking the information I get from here and try to channel Danny Trejo" she countered, pushing the microphone pen into her hair, which was pulled away from her face.

"Just find out what you can" Veronica told her simply, as she regarded the taller slender brunette. Wordlessly Daisy handed Weevil her jacket and climbed out of the back of Wallace's van.

"I sure hope you know what you are doing" Wallace said, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, if there's a girl knows how to handle herself, its Daisy" Weevil told him, he was going to see Chardo tomorrow, and Keith had left the hard drive in the Mars Investigations Office where Mac was on her way to collect it.

Keith Mars had returned with the hard drive from Pricilla Bank's computer and hid it in the small roof space in the Mars Investigations office before returning home to feed Backup. He hadn't been in the office long before Deputy Briar and Ryan's had arrived with a search warrant to have a look around Veronica's bedroom.

"She's not here" Keith told them, irritated as he opened a beer and put on the television. The deputy's were too lazy to do a proper search of the bedroom, they mostly just knocked clothes over, looked under the bed, at her planner and notes she'd written on her calendar. They wouldn't find anything because there was nothing to find.

"Do you have any idea where your daughter could be Mr Mars?" Briar's demanded.

"Haven't seen her… maybe she's with her mother?" he shrugged, sipping from the bottle. He was doing his best not to give into the protective rage that demanded he subdue and cuff the deputy's until he could locate Veronica. She had been near the Serenity Inn the last time he had spoken to her.. there's only one reason he could think she would be there.

 _Running down a lead at the Rusty Knot…_

He looked down at Pitbull sitting faithfully at his ankles; Backup had been in the passenger seat of a drug user's car the night that he had arrested three of the Fitzpatrick's brothers from that place. Only he'd had two local Sheriff departments and a federal task force with him at the time. The thought that four unarmed teenagers were investigating this on their own made his blood run cold.

What was it with this YOLO generation that made them think that they were invincible? Hadn't enough of their classmates been buried in the last two years to make them realize they weren't? Keith had seen the faces of those parents… he'd been so close to being one of them himself… he never wanted to experience that kind of loss. For a parent to lose a child… it was almost enough to make him want to move out of Neptune.

"It's a small town Keith… you can't keep her tucked away forever" Ryan's told him.

"I'm an expert at tucking away my Daughter John… I've been doing it for 18 years.. she can do it herself now" he replied, giving him a mocking smile as the other Deputy returned empty handed from his bedroom. His green eyes hardening as the other man stood with his hands on his hips.

"If she contacts you… tell her to turn herself in" Briar growled, before he gestured at Ryan's for them to leave.

"Ciao" Keith waved as he propped his feet onto the coffee table.

 _Veronica… sweetheart… I really hope you know what you are doing…_ he thought as he scratched behind his dog's ear.

Logan was sure Veronica was doing whatever she could in her super sleuth arsenal to try and chase down the connections, but after Lamb's threat, the longer he went without hearing from her, the more anxious he became.

"You know this is bull shit right?" Logan asked Deputy Leo D'Amato as he sat in his cell.

"I'm only doing my job man" he sighed.

"Yeah… so were the Nazi's" Logan countered, the frustration of being trapped and useless in this cell while Lamb made some megalomaniac plans with his dad, or the Fitzpatrick's or whoever the hell was pulling his strings while he couldn't protect Veronica was pure torment.

"We don't all have a trust fund" Leo snapped. "You think I don't want to help Veronica?"

"You sure as hell didn't want to help when she gave you my alibi… but yet here we are…" Logan said, gesturing to his current accommodations.

"I was sure that the ankle data would have cleared you" Leo sighed.

"Well, it didn't" Logan said, making a tada motion. "There's a sickness in the Sheriff's department, they are allergic to the truth… You don't see it now, but you will… everybody will…" he smiled bitterly.

 _He just hoped it was before his father's plots let him get away with murder…_


	41. Chapter 41

Personally, Daisy found nothing more awkward than watch a bunch of guys ogle over the same woman while she writhed, gyrated and worked the pole. True to it's nautical theme, the stages in the Rusty Knot were shaped like an Anchor with bars at the sides and seats following the shape and curves. The corners were home to party booths and there were VIP Private rooms behind the velvet rope in the back.

She knew that most the clientele here were older guys with more money than they knew what to do with just out looking for some good old fashioned adult entertainment, boobs and alcohol, a good way to unwind. You could take a man away from the camp fires but they were still hard-wired to be on the hunt. It was the illusion of a an endless excitement of the parade of different naked girls acting sexy and friendly just for their pleasure… providing one aspect of sexuality without the rest of the baggage, or the hefty divorce settlement. … after 8 or so drinks, most men didn't even care it was just their job. Unlike Jack-Off's over on Ferdinand Street, the Rusty Knot was one of the more classier establishments where wealthy 09ers could enjoy the feeling of being desired by a typically above average looking girl in skimpy clothing just trying to work her way through college or feed her family.

Each of the women in here all had a different story, some worse off than most. Sal tried his best to keep the worst cases out of his club; he usually referred those girls misguided enough to be drawn to the promise of a glamourized idea at snaring a rich 09er sugar daddy to Daisy as a kind of commensalism between the latino community and the club. It kept things from getting too ugly and avoided turf wars between the mid-city street gangs and the Irish mafia. Daisy didn't condone the street violence or the gang banging but sadly too many folks just saw it as an easy way to get a little bit closer to that Neptune American Dream of their own… as long as it was consensual she tried not to judge.

"Some guys just love the strip tease… the titillation and the naked bodies… then there's the guys who want the whole package… the happy ending and the dvd boxset… you can make more money at the end of the night in here selling your thong to a guy than you can during some of your sets" Karyn aka Mystique told Daisy as she shouted over the sound of Pitbull's – You know you want me blaring from the speakers.

Daisy offered her one of the shots from the tray she was holding and ran her gaze over the uncomfortable looking leather corset and panties that the red head girl was wearing.

"And the happy endings… that something goes on often?" she said, arching an eyebrow.

"Not for me personally, I mean.. I'm a specialist, I sing and I have an act… but some of the other… the front liners like Kimmy-Jinn? They sometimes take guys in the back…" Karyn told her in a hushed voice. "But you don't want to get involved in that… most of the girls don't even want to… it's usually the ones who owe Liam something… sometimes it's a boyfriend whose got in trouble and they have to make it right." Spraying herself with the water and glitter combo that sat beside the stage before she turned and climbed back up to finish her set.

Daisy didn't doubt that part, Sergio Pablos the bouncer from the road hog had run into some trouble when the Fitzpatrick's had forced his sister Camille to have to work the stage for two weeks because her drugged up ex-boyfriend had run into money problems.

"If all women were like strippers.. there would be no war" a drunk customer slurred as he handed Daisy a $20 bill and gave her a sleazy smile.

Honestly… why did they all look at her like they thought they were doing her a favour by paying her a compliment of some kind by appraising her, undressing her with their eyes while an actual naked women pleading for his attention by almost rubbing herself on his face?

 _Tipping is not a city in China…_

"Strip clubs? Lap dancing? Pole Vaulting? Yup… give me pole vaulting any day" she muttered as she handed him back his change in crisp $1 bills just like he requested for the third time that night.

 _No power on this earth could get her to strip off and grind for some dirty old men to jack off._

"Uh.. Weeves? You definitely owe me those replacement parts for my car…" Daisy said through gritted teeth.

"What's going on?" he asked through her earcomm.

Veronica listened in nervously, she hated that they had to send her in there while they had to sit in Wallace's car. It was after midnight, her dad sent her a text to check in.

"Deputy Dicks and Sheriff Schlong just arrived" she growled as she watched as the Sheriff Lamb and two of his Deputy's walking in and taking up a booth in the corner.

"Lamb is there?" asked Veronica, the alarm obvious in her voice.

"Yeah…and it ain't in a kebab shop… but if I have to talk to him something or someone is definitely getting skewered" she warned.

"What's Lamb doing in a strip club?" Wallace asked.

"Enjoying the parading non-stop female flesh?" Weevil suggested.

"Being a creeper is what…" Daisy complained. "Shifty-eyed, obnoxious sleaze on a faux-suede seat…"

"What's the difference between a cocktail waitress and a stripper?" Lenny Boyd, the bartender asked Daisy as she put the empty glasses she had collected back on the bar. "About a week" he added.

"What's the difference between a bartender and an aspirin?" Daisy retorted. "Aspirin works" before she picked up her replacement tray and turned to see one of Lamb's minions leering at her as the track changed to Pussycat Dolls – Buttons.

"How many cops does it take to push a stripper down the stairs?" Deputy Duke White said as he picked up his beer. "None… _She Fell"_

"Oh look…. It's bacon strips…" she retorted dryly before she rolled her eyes and walked away.

"Huh?" he said in confusion, she knew the asshole well. His regular patrol took him up past the Latino community centre and he had responded to a few incidents at the Road Hog on the odd occasion that a tourist had been unfortunate enough to end up getting into a bar fight there with the wrong person.

"Pigs…" she grumbled.

"No need to be so hostile beautiful… I'm just here to get a stripper on my zipper but… I might be willing to take you home instead" Duke continued. "Cash for a flash?"

"Step off" she snapped, making eye contact with Toni Romero, the head door staff. "No tengo el chichi pa farlolillos" she called out.

"Why you going to slap and tickle?" he sneered.

"I was thinking more a body slide" Daisy snarled before one of the bouncers came up behind her.

 _The only reason she hadn't decked him yet is she wasn't dumb enough to assault a cop…_

"She's working" Toni said in a firm voice and Deputy White looked the tall African American man up and down, weighing his options.

"Alright… I was just being friendly…" Duke said, obviously deciding against taking it any further.

"Well go be elsewhere" Toni warned.

"You should try being nicer… remember who you guys come calling when shit gets ugly down here" the Deputy taunted, at 5 ft 9inches, Daisy couldn't see how much use the cop could be, he was chubby and ginger and smelled of twinkies. It was a statement of the condition of law enforcement in Neptune.

"You should try remembering who lets you through that front door" Toni countered.

"Sure… Shaft" he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender before walking over to the stage where Candy and Lola were grinding in a duo performance.

Daisy looked up at Toni and he shook his head. "Stay out of trouble"

"Daize.. will you answer me? What the hell is going on?" Weevil demanded.

"Nothing, I'm fine. Just Deputy Brainless" she muttered. "I'm getting nothing… I'd need to check out the back rooms…" she sighed.

"Maldita sea" he cursed.

"Well we knew this could happen…" Wallace commented.

"No te preocupes Ese" Daisy soothed. "I still got another hour of my shift" she said as she watched one of the male exotic dancers in a tuxedo start to strip.

"¿Hace calor aqui, o eres tù?" a familiar male voice said from behind her. She didn't have to look over her shoulder to know it was the Sheriff. She took a deep breath and slid the tray of shots onto the table beside her, picking one up and knocking it back.

 _God… the cheese.. is it hot in here or is it just you? Who even said that anymore?_

"Well if it's not Hell… can you at least douse me in gasoline so this torment could be over?" Daisy grumbled as she turned to glare at him. His blue eyes gleaming in amusement at her as he stood inappropriately close… being this close to him made her feel nauseated, the smell of his axe body spray was only slightly better than the scent of the cigar he was rolling around in his mouth.

 _I have to stop drinking tequila…_

"Ésta es una canción excelente. ¿Quieres bailar conmigo?" Lamb said suggestively with the worst pronunciations she had ever heard as he looked at the empty pole beside them.

 _Does he have to insist on butchering my language?_

"Eres tan patético, que resultas entrañable" she told him angrily. "I won't dance for you, Pintamonas"

"Its so hot when you speak Spanish… Oh come on… after our night together? I am feeling so deprived…" he said as he ran his gaze approvingly over her skimpy outfit.

 _Weevil… I am going to kill you for this…_

"And I am feeling of jealous of all the people who have never met you. You are depriving some village somewhere of an idiot… why do you waste my time?" she demanded.

"Ouch… It's almost like you don't realize that we have our whole lives to be together…" he sighed.

"It was one night, Don. Attraction is a funny thing … and obviously the amount of tequila in my blond that night wanted you… Has that happened before? A couple of times. Did it last? Clearly, no…now get a hint you Neanderthal jerk!"

 _Whoever said one-night stands were supposed to be simple with no strings attached had clearly never met the disaster that was me._

"Spirited attitude for a girl with a clamp on her car…" he sighed.

"Maybe your dick is so small because you shoved ¾ of it into your personality" she cursed.

"I didn't hear you complaining at the time…" he sneered confidently, picking up one of the shots from her tray.

"I wear bigger heels than your dick.." she retorted, as he grinned in amusement at her comments. He did love the feisty ones, most of the girls in here had the breasts resulting from the of some sloppy surgeon and they wore too much make up and reeked of fake tan. Completely unappealing… but Daisy? She was a fiery Latina who trained at the Half Moon Dojo where he had his boxing class, he'd had a crush on her for almost three years.

"Well if it's anything like those…" Lamb replied as he hinted at the large 9 inch heels that Karyn was wearing as she did a wave motion around the pole to Rhianna's – Pour it up.

"Shouldn't you be off solving a murder?" she snarled. "I hear it's been a busy couple of days for you"

"It has… I could use a little help to unwind… help get me motivated" he smiled, his teeth were so white that they practically glowed in the UV lights.

"So why don't you go pick one you don't make wanna puke… take a girl out the private rooms out back and have your way with her?" Daisy refused.

"And give Liam an opportunity? No thanks… I prefer my footage to stay in my home collection" he scoffed, downing another shot from her tray. "Should have gone to see the Wizard Daisy… asked him for a time machine… because there's nothing you can do now to stop the images of you and me playing on a loop inside my head" he winked before he dropped a $100 bill onto the tray and did his best Sexy Sheriff saunter away from her towards his companions.

"Did he just say Liam?" Wallace asked.

"They film the clientele who use the private rooms…" Veronica breathed.

 _Footage that's what they had on the plastic surgeon…. It had to be… If they could get rid of that Leverage… they could get him to retract his statement..._


	42. Chapter 42

"I want you to stop… whatever it is you are doing… you have to stop now Eli" Daisy declared as she got out of the van outside her house. Her cover shift had ended about twenty minutes ago and so far Mac had been able to confirm that the hard drive Keith Mars had recovered from his break in at Kendall Casablancas' house under her real name contained several records of public law officials and prominent 09ers who had frequented the club and made the unfortunate decision to ask for some of the more _luxury_ items on the options menu and been recorded indulging.

It could take hours to find the relevant files for Dr Tom Griffiths, but her dad assured her that they were on the right track. Financial records from his credit card statements proved that over the last several months since his separation from his wife, that he had made several purchases totalling several thousand dollars in The Rusty Knot, and several hundred regular smaller deposits to Cupids Bow… the Beauty parlour owned by the Fitzpatrick's.

"I know you are worried but I have to keep doing this… for Felix" he told her firmly.

"Mierda, me preocupo por ti. Estoy asustado. Eres un niño obstinado" she swore.

"I won't end up like Gustavio… don't you think you taught me better than that?" he reasoned, referring to his predecessor The Reaper who had been killed. They never found his body.

"I have no idea what is going on" Wallace whispered to Veronica as he watched the exchange between them, as they stood outside the small student accommodation that Daisy shared with her roommates.

"She's scared him helping us go up against the Fitzpatrick's is going to get him hurt" Veronica translated, seeing how upset that Daisy had become at the thought of her young friend getting caught up further in this investigation made her feel guilty. Glancing at the clamps on the green Cadillac Eldorado 1978 parked in the driveway Veronica reached into her bag to find her keys.

"I thought I did… but I also thought I'd taught Felix and look what happened to him" she sobbed. Daisy had dated Gustavio for almost three years when they were in high school, she had stayed close to the Toomes family even after his disappearance and losing his younger brother had hit her very hard. Weevil pulled her into a fierce hug and promised her that he wouldn't do anything stupid, but that it was important because the real killer was someone in the PCH biker club, and he needed proof before he could set things right.

"Fine… but you won't be going to get that recorder from St Marys… I will. From now on you all have to be smarter" she said, casting a pointed glance in Veronica's direction. "I warned you to stay away from Pricilla Banks, that bitch was bad news" Daisy sniffed before she turned and walked towards her front porch.

"I could take that off if you want?" Veronica offered, pointing at the clamp, a smile tugged at one side of Daisy's mouth.

"Maybe after Weevil gets me that alternator and control arm he told me he'd get" she smiled, as she shot him a look.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is find the right parts for this heap of junk?" Weevil laughed.

"It's a classic!" Daisy said defensively.

"No one has bought one of those since 1999" he countered.

"Okay, well as fascinating as all this automobile education is, my feet are killing me and I really just want to curl up and sleep" Daisy replied wearily. "This better not be the last time I see you hombre joven"

"Como si pudiera permanecer lejos" he smiled back as she went into the house. "Now what?" he said, turning his big brown eyes back to his petite blond companion.

"I told my Mom's I was staying with your dad tonight… I didn't tell her anything else, I'm not exactly sure how she would handle all this Sherlock shit we have had going down tonight" Wallace sighed.

"Well Mac's gone home, she's going to work through the footage tonight and call us tomorrow" Veronica said, she was exhausted; they'd been dodging the Sheriff's department most of the night.

 _Where does one hide in Neptune when you were hiding out from the law?_

"They are probably watching your house" Weevil warned.

"Yeah, I considered that… I just don't know where to go" she sighed. She considered calling Duncan, but he had enough on his plate right now, Dick and Beaver were staying with him because their house was a crime scene right now. That gave her an idea.

"When your grandma stopped working for the Echolls last year, she got a job working with Sunshine Cleaning Services right?" she questioned.

"Yeah" Weevil confirmed, folding his arms.

"So… your cousin Julieta is about my size right? She works there too?" Veronica asked and he nodded slowly. She had met her briefly during the barbeque she had been invited to after she'd gotten Diego Vazquez off those bribing charges.

"What are you plotting now?" Wallace sighed, pressing his head against the steering wheel. She'd been involved with Logan for less than a week and he'd been accused of 2 murders, there were four bodies in the last two days and she was on the run from the Sheriff's department. What was it going to take to shake some sense into this girl?

"They do crime scene clean up too" she told him as she climbed into the back of the van, and Weevil climbed into the front. Sunshine Cleaning Services was the go to company for Neptune's elite for all things requiring discretion. Dick and Cassidy's mother would most likely be calling them as soon as she lands tomorrow.

"And you plan on going undercover?" Weevil said raising an eyebrow.

"Unless you really want to go to school tomorrow" Veronica replied, she could fake an invoice using the one that they had given her earlier today when they had cleaned the Echolls estate. Kendall had lived in that house… that alone required further exploration, her inner detective practically demanded it.

"We still have to prove that Thumper killed Havier or getting rid of the fake statement for the Felix case won't matter" Wallace reminded them as he started up the van.

"I'll beat the confession out of him if I have to" Weevil growled.

"There's still a real witness… if I could get access to the 911 call.. I could… there has to be a way to find them" Veronica told them.

"Pull in at the Camelott and wait for me" Weevil told instructed as he climbed out of the car.

"What are we doing now?" Wallace asked, looking over his shoulder at Veronica.

"I don't know.. I can't go home.. and they probably have someone at your house too" she replied.

"Fugitives… and to think my mom thought you'd be a bad influence" he breathed, shaking his head.

"Can't corrupt the willing Sodapop" she smiled weakly.

"You're my best friend Veronica. I just want you to be safe" he said as he grabbed her hand.

"I'm really worried I'm over my head this time" she admitted, her eyes were starting to wet with unshed tears. She knew the nightmares were close tonight, the one's she had about being in that box, the smell of gasoline and the fire. Aaron's voice, it's almost like she could feel him laughing at her attempts to connect the dots.

"With you and Daddy Mars on the case?" he soothed, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "They don't stand a chance… besides, you got help…" Wallace told her as he nodded in Weevil's direction as he walked across the parking lot. "You got all the help I can stand."

"I know he's not your favourite person…" she acknowledged. Not that she could blame him, being tied up naked to a flag pole by a biker gang wasn't an easy thing to forget.

"No.. he's prince charming" Wallace said dryly.

"You girls picking out Prom dresses?" Weevil said as he opened the door and handed two small discs to Veronica. "Your alibi"

"Well, part of it. I still have to get those Romstrad security tapes from Cliff" Veronica added.

"There's an ecology research station has cameras positioned up around the outside on the cliff side of the Echolls estate" Weevil told her.

"How do you know that exactly?" Wallace asked.

"My uncle's brother-in-law is a tree trimmer… they have some kind of Condor's nesting up there. The feed goes up to some research lab up near Neptune Veterinary College" he said, his brown eyes barely meeting Veronica's gaze. He'd known that because he'd been planning to avoid those camera's or disable them for future use. He'd been planning to hurt Logan and the guilt he was feeling was obvious.

"I'll pass it that on" she nodded. "If the cameras in the right place then it could fill in the hours between midnight and 2 am. There'd be no way they could accuse either of us of being out of that house during the time that Havier was killed"

"It looks directly onto the cliff side, and there's a view into the Echolls backyard, around the pool" Weevil told her.

"So you can see into the kitchen?" she asked.

 _Great… footage of me and Logan having sex right there on the counter…_

"Are we getting a room here.. or what are we doing? I am about ready to curl up in the back of this car" Wallace yawned.

"I know a place" Weevil told him. "It's where my boys lie low sometimes when we need to stay off the grid." Holding up a bag of take-out and handing a small coffee to Veronica.

 _Sharks rule! Pitching looking good for next season._

Veronica used the disposable cell she kept in her bag to send her dad a coded message to let him know she was okay and that they were chasing down some new leads, to get Cliff to call her in the morning.

"Whatever we do, we gotta do it fast… Logan's got one more day before he's transferred up to county" she said quietly as Wallace gunned the engine into life. They settled into the small garage in the nearby boat house on the docks, Weevil and Wallace had taken the fold out couch in the office while she sat away on the small cot, unable to sleep. She listened to her headphones while she IM'd with Mac before she went to sleep Au/Pa – Panic room was playing quietly in the background. She reviewed the information on Thumpers social media accounts, she started compiling a list of businesses near the spot where the shooting took place.

 _Definitely worthy of a more detailed investigation… he wouldn't get away with this…_

Feeling more in control than she had all day, she tried her best to switch off the doubts, to capture a predator she couldn't remain the prey. She'd get her way into the Casablancas house right under Lambs nose… get hold of anything Kendall had on the Fitzpatrick's. Con woman like that with a safe house, wouldn't get involved without having one foot out the door and a hand on a go bag. Self-serving harpy had to have something on them to protect herself.

 _Protect herself… What did Thumper have to protect himself? He was just a slimy and duplicitous as Kendall… no way he would kill Havier unless he was sure he was close to taking over the PCHers.. did he have something on Weevil?_

The earring… Weevil had told her that he had beaten Curly Moran for a confession on blowing up the bus the night that he died outside he Road Hog.

There were so many threads to this web, and she couldn't be everywhere at once, and none of the information they had found explained why the computer systems had went down, or how someone had faked the ankle monitor data. Desperate, Veronica picked up her phone and dialled someone she never thought she'd speak to again.

"Clarence Weidman's Office" Sandy answered.


End file.
